African Penguin Refugees: Tenfold Decrease in Optimal Nesting Habitat Recorded Over the Past 22,000 Years

Imagine the view from the western coastline of southern Africa during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) over 20,000 years ago: In the distance you would see at least 15 large islands—the largest 300 square kilometers in area—swarming with hundreds of millions of marine birds and penguin colonies.