Abstract
More than half of the world's 18 penguin species are declining. We, the Steering Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Penguin Specialist Group, determined that the penguin species in most critical need of conservation action are African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), and Yellow‐eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes). Due to small or rapidly declining populations, these species require immediate scientific collaboration and policy intervention. We also used a pairwise‐ranking approach to prioritize research and conservation needs for all penguins. Among the 12 cross‐taxa research areas we identified, we ranked quantifying population trends, estimating demographic rates, forecasting environmental patterns of change, and improving the knowledge of fisheries interactions as the highest priorities. The highest ranked conservation needs were to enhance marine spatial planning, improve stakeholder engagement, and develop disaster‐management and species‐specific action plans. We concurred that, to improve the translation of science into effective conservation for penguins, the scientific community and funding bodies must recognize the importance of and support long‐term research; research on and conservation of penguins must expand its focus to include the nonbreeding season and juvenile stage; marine reserves must be designed at ecologically appropriate spatial and temporal scales; and communication between scientists and decision makers must be improved with the help of individual scientists and interdisciplinary working groups.
Highlights
More than half of the 18 species are in decline, and species with stable or increasing global populations are sometimes in decline regionally (e.g., Magellanic penguins [Spheniscus magellanicus]) (Pozzi et al 2015)
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) Specialist Groups consist of members who provide the highest level of scientific rigor and expertise regarding the conservation of the species within their purview (IUCN 2017)
The IUCN SSC Penguin Specialist Group (PSG) Steering Committee (Supporting Information), held a 2-day workshop to develop a consensus on the penguin species of most immediate conservation concern and prioritize gaps in penguin research and conservation
Summary
Ten of the 18 recognized penguin species are threatened (IUCN 2018) (Table 1), making them the most threatened group of seabirds after albatrosses and petrels (Croxall et al 2012). More than half of the 18 species are in decline, and species with stable or increasing global populations are sometimes in decline regionally (e.g., Magellanic penguins [Spheniscus magellanicus]) (Pozzi et al 2015). The International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) Specialist Groups consist of members who provide the highest level of scientific rigor and expertise regarding the conservation of the species within their purview (IUCN 2017). The IUCN SSC Penguin Specialist Group (PSG) Steering Committee (Supporting Information), held a 2-day workshop to develop a consensus on the penguin species of most immediate conservation concern and prioritize gaps in penguin research and conservation. Recognizing that a lack of consensus among scientists on priorities and approaches can impede conservation (e.g., in the case of African penguin Spheniscus demersus: Holcombe 2015), our goal was to foster conservation action on behalf of penguins through intensive discussions and structured ranking processes
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