南極洲危險群島大驚喜

Scientists have found more than 1.5 million penguins！ They are on the Danger Islands off the coast of Antarctica（南極洲）. Huge groups of penguins nest1 there. How did people miss all those penguins until now？

The Danger Islands are surrounded2 by thick sea ice most of the time. Few ships can get through. So scientists used satellites（衛星）to view the islands from space， and they saw a lot of penguin poop3！ Where there is penguin poop， there must be penguins！

A team reached the island and saw Adélie penguins（阿德勒企鵝）everywhere！ They used a drone（無人機）to take pictures of the birds from the air. They put many photos together to make large maps. Computers used the maps to count penguins sitting on their nests. Scientists also walked around and counted nests to make sure the computer was right.

The number of Adélie penguins has fallen in many places because of climate4 change. They need cold temperatures and sea ice to survive5. The climate in the Danger Islands is more suitable6 than in other parts of Antarctica. Finding these penguins might give people a reason to protect these islands. That would keep the penguins out of danger！

科學家們在南極洲偏遠的危險群島，發現有超過150萬只企鵝棲息于此！這片龐大的企鵝“殖民地”是如何隱藏至今的呢？

危險群島一年大部分時間都被厚厚的海冰覆蓋，船只很難進入。于是，科學家們利用衛星進行觀測，竟發現了大量企鵝糞便。這無疑暴露了企鵝們的蹤跡。

科學小隊隨后抵達群島，果然發現了漫山遍野的阿德勒企鵝。他們借助無人機從空中拍攝照片，然后將照片拼接在一起，用電腦統計企鵝數量。科學家們甚至采用“人肉”數數法，來確保電腦的計算無誤。

受氣候變化影響，近年來全球阿德勒企鵝的數量一直在下降。它們需要低溫與海冰維持生存，而危險群島的地理環境十分理想。也許，這一發現能夠促使人們積極保護群島的生態環境，幫助企鵝遠離生存危機。

Adélie penguins live in the ocean and on the ice most of the time. They eat krill（磷蝦）—small animals that look like shrimp. They eat fish， too. Once a year， they go on land to give birth. The females lay two eggs in a nest made of rocks. Both parents take turns caring for their young.

企鵝小知識

阿德勒企鵝主要在海洋與冰層棲息，以磷蝦和魚類為食。它們每年上岸繁殖，巢由石頭堆砌而成。雌企鵝每次產下兩個蛋，而孵蛋和哺育的責任則由父母雙方輪流負責。