Penguin divorce rates threaten future of species

The long-held belief that penguin's mate for life is being challenged by new research on Victoria’s Phillip Island, where divorce rates among the colony's penguins have been rising.

New research conducted over more than a decade by Monash University and Phillip Island Nature Parks has taken a deep dive into the complicated love lives of the species to determine what it can predict about the Australian colony’s reproductive future.

Professor Richard Reina, head of Monash University’s Ecophysiology and Conservation Research Group, has studied Phillip Island’s little penguins for two decades.

“In good times, they largely stick with their partners, although there’s often a bit of hanky-panky happening on the side,” he said. Yet, he noted that a poor reproductive season often prompts penguins to find new partners in the hope of improving their breeding outcomes.

The study, which spanned 13 breeding seasons, recorded nearly 250 divorces from a sample of about 1,000 penguin pairs.

Researchers observed that years with lower divorce rates correlated with higher breeding success, indicating a strong link between stable pairings and reproductive outcomes.

“Divorce rates appear to be a more reliable predictor of the reproductive success of the colony than environmental factors like habitat change or behavioural traits,” said Professor Reina.

Phillip Island is home to a colony of approximately 37,000 penguins, and the rising divorce rates have led to concerns over the long-term sustainability of their population.

Researchers warn that higher divorce rates are likely to result in lower overall reproductive success, putting additional pressure on the colony’s growth and stability.

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