About Northern Rockhoppers
Species Common Name: Northern rockhopper penguin
Species Scientific Name: Eudyptes Moseley
Home and Habitat
The rockhopper penguin's home is the arctic ice biome located in places like The South Atlantic Ocean They breed in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago.
​
Why are Northern Rockhoppers So Important?
It's always sad to lose a species. When a species goes extinct, we loose their addition to the ecosystem. Rockhoppers are vital to arctic ecosystems. They fertilize their home with critical nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon. They also serve as prey for organisms like leopard seals, orcas, and seabirds. Northern Rockhopper Penguins are very important parts of the food chain.
What Do They Eat ?
Rockhoppers are foraging predators that primarily feed on krill, crustaceans, and squid. The krill make up around 70% of their diet. For most of the year, they live on rocky shores and hunt in the waters nearby. In the fall, the penguins leave the breeding colony to partake in a spectacular migration. They spend an entire three to five months at sea foraging for food.
Population Decline
A group of rockhoppers
The Northern rockhopper’s population currently stands at 413,700 (ICUN Redlist, 2020), and is declining rapidly. A 2010 study estimated the species’ overall decline to be over half (57%) over the last 27 years (three generations of penguins), (American Bird Conservatory, 2020). At Amsterdam Island, numbers have been declining at an average rate of 3.7% since the early 1970s resulting in an 80% decline over the past three generations (Barbraud et al. in revision).
A lower population means that the Northern rockhoppers have a lower genetic variability, which increases their vulnerability to rapid population decline. Lower genetic variability makes them less able to adapt to change. With climate change and humans causing fast and drastic changes to their habitat, the Northern rockhopper’s unadaptable population falls at great risk. Another component of their decline is the fact that the penguin’s range is restricted to the South Atlantic Ocean. The latest population estimate suggests a total population of 206,850 breeding pairs, with 89.7% of them residing at the Atlantic Breeding sites. Having a majority of the population restricted to a specific area puts the penguins at risk, as they will be more affected by environmental changes within their living area. Thankfully they have one natural component working well for them, which is a short gestation period of 33-35 days (Edinburgh Zoo, 2016). Northern Rockhoppers also play a factor in functional diversity: As both a foraging predator and prey animal rockhoppers contribute a lot to the food web and matter cycling of their ecosystem.
“The Northern Rockhopper Penguin population has declined significantly in the last 50 years. A 2010 estimate estimated the species' overall decline to be 57 percent over 27 years.”
-American Bird Conservancy
We need your help to save these vital species! Everyone is vital on our earth, including you! We need to work together to protect each other!