The Antarctic tundras are home to a range of species that have adapted in fascinating ways to the frozen conditions. The climate crisis means that thousands of penguins are now at risk, but efforts are under way to protect them.
Fieldwork assistant Natacha Planque works daily in -50°C conditions and winds that reach more than 100km per hour, studying the lives of emperor and Adélie penguins on the Pointe Géologie archipelago.
From the Dumont d’Urville (DDU) Station, Planque and her team monitor 25 islands by helicopter and on foot, conducting annual counts of both species of penguins. They work with the Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Institut Polaire Français, and receive support from WWF. Planque explained that they counted 38,000 nesting Adélie couples and 34,000 chicks in 2024. The numbers have been rising in Pointe Géologie since 1985.
However, data from the WWF shows that the impacts of climate change have caused a 65% decline of Adélie penguin populations in the Antarctic Peninsula over the past 25 years.
The loss of ice has caused a decline in krill, the penguins’ main food source, and warmer temperatures are thought to affect egg hatching times. There has been a mass breeding failure of emperor penguins in recent years.
“The data is stark, and emperors are in decline, but seeing these iconic birds marching through the wilderness fills me with wonder,” Planque says.
Tracking the penguins’ reproductive success involves collecting and counting emperor penguin eggs that have failed to hatch; in 2024 she collected 100, and by measuring the length, width and mass of each egg, studied the effects of the environmental conditions.
For the eggs that do hatch, a new challenge emerges. “In August, the chicks leave the brood pouch. They run through the colony, with their parents running after them and trying not to lose them!” says Planque. “But sadly, some emperor penguins can be seen wandering around the colony after returning from the sea, looking for a chick that simply isn’t there.”
She continues: “Driven by a maternal instinct, the chick-less adults set out to get one! And more than 20 adults can be seen trying to steal a single chick. Sometimes, they win. But sadly, they seldom manage to keep the chick alive.”
To keep an eye on the penguin populations, Planque’s team tags and monitors 300 emperor penguin chicks on Pointe Géologie each year, using tracking devices called pit-tags. This allows them to be monitored year-round with minimal disturbance.
The data is stark, and emperors are in decline, but seeing these iconic birds marching through the wilderness fills me with wonder
It’s crucial to keep the detection antennas running, one of her key winter missions. “Before I came here, I didn’t imagine I would have to dig the ice with an axe to put antennas in the ground,” she says.
Despite the tough conditions and hard work, Planque expresses how rewarding her job can be. “I remember at the end of March, when the sea ice was newly formed, I watched as the emperors waited a few days before it was solid enough to cross. I love going down to the island to see these incredible animals against the dramatic landscape. Yes, hands get really cold holding binoculars and cameras! But you just have to shake them off and put them in bigger gloves.”
Main image: Adélie penguin adult feeding chick, Pointe Géologie archipelago, Antarctica. Image: Natacha Planque / IPEV
