Climate change threatens to wipe out emperor penguins

If global temperatures continue to rise, 90% of emperor penguin populations could disappear by 2100 – Antarctic researchers warn.

The emperor penguin ( scientific name: Aptenodytes forsteri) is the largest and heaviest of all living penguin species. It is also endemic to Antarctica. Photo: unionrayo.com.

Every year, emperor penguins travel between 50 and 120 km across the ice to reach their breeding grounds, where thousands of individuals mate. Photo: Bjorn Svensson.

The female emperor penguins then lay a single egg. The male then incubates the egg while the female goes out to sea to forage. Photo: Peter Layt.

However, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has just released new research and issued a warning about the future of emperor penguins in the context of severe climate change. Photo: Barry Becker.

Specifically, BAS experts found that climate change has led to the loss of sea ice in Antarctica. The emperor penguin is facing the greatest threat as Antarctica is experiencing a 22% decrease in snow. Photo: Gary Miller.

Due to the effects of climate change, permanent ice in many places in Antarctica is melting early. This affects the reproduction and development of emperor penguin chicks. Photo: Andrew Burgess.

Before they develop their waterproof adult plumage, emperor penguin chicks can die when exposed to the cold waters of Antarctic waters, leading to a rapid decline in emperor penguin populations in the coming years. Photo: Robyn Mundy.

According to calculations by experts at BAS, the number of emperor penguins is decreasing by an average of 1.6% per year. Photo: Canva.com.

From here, experts warn that if climate change continues to cause loss of sea ice in Antarctica, more than 90% of emperor penguins will become extinct by the end of the 21st century. Photo: asoc.org.

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