Estimates of Adelie penguin population have more than doubled

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Tuesday, March 21, 2017
New estimates more than double Antarctica's Adèlie penguin population
New estimates more than double Antarctica's Adèlie penguin populationScientists from Australia, France and Japan used aerial and ground surveys to count the penguin population in Antartica.

Research has estimated that almost 6 million Adélie penguin live in East Antarctica, more than double the previous count.

The jump in population is to due a new counting method that took into account non-breeding birds. A report from the Australia Antarctic Division has called the findings "their best estimate yet."

Aerial and ground surveys were conducted along 5,000 kilometers of coastline by Australian, French and Japanese scientists.

Scientists now estimate the total Adélie penguin population to be 14-16 million.

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