Warming oceans kill emperor penguins. Beth Tyler 05.25.01 Scientists have been monitoring emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) populations in Antarctica for 50 years. From 1969 to 1989, scientists captured and marked penguins so they could follow them throughout their life. They recorded how long each penguin lived and how many children he or she had. Scientists discovered that some years had much higher adult mortality than other years. When scientists compared their mortality data with data on climate, they found that more penguins died during years when the ocean water was warmer. Penguins feed on fish that like very cold water, and scientists think that the penguins have a hard time finding their food when the water is warmer.     Unfortunately for the penguins, Antarctica will be one of the areas most affected by global warming. As the ocean water continues to warm, penguin populations will probably continue to decline.   Barbraud, Christophe, and Henri Weimerskirch. 2001. Emperor penguins and climate change. Nature 411:183-186 ©2001 The Aurora Collection, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Site Development by: Interactive Multimedia. Inc.