Antarctic emperor penguins doubled

According to a study published April 13 in the journal PLoS ONE, the number of emperor penguins in the South Pole is twice as large.

>>>Discover the life of the Emperor penguin

Scientists have described how they use extremely high resolution satellite images to estimate the number of penguins in each herd around this icy continental coastline.

Using the 'pan-sharpening' technique to increase the resolution of satellite images, scientific groups were able to differentiate between penguins, ice, shadows and bird droppings. They then proceeded to take aerial photography and count on the ground.

The main cost of the report and the geographer at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) confirms: 'We are extremely happy to be able to locate and identify a large number of emperor penguins. so. We counted 595,000 children, nearly double the previous estimates of 270,000 to 350,000. "

'The measures we use are a big step in Antarctic ecology because we can conduct research safely and effectively without much impact on the environment, and deliver estimates of the entire number of penguins ".

Imperial penguins live in areas that are difficult to study because these places are remote and often inaccessible in temperatures up to minus 50 degrees Celsius.

With black and white fur, prominent emperor penguins on the snow and can see clearly the birds from satellite images. This new technique allows the team to analyze 44 flocks of emperor penguins around Antarctica, of which seven have not been previously identified.