Weather & Science
Emperor Penguins Declared Endangered as Antarctica Loses Ice
The birds face a major threat to their survival as climate change shrinks the sea ice they rely on for breeding.
Emperor penguins on Antarctica’s Rothschild Island.
Photographer: Philip Trathan
Antarctica’s iconic emperor penguin has been deemed an endangered species as the sea ice it depends on shrinks due to rising temperatures.
The penguins’ population is expected to drop by half by the 2080s because of a loss of sea ice, which the birds use for breeding, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said on Thursday. The population already fell by about 10% between 2009 and 2018, the equivalent of around 20,000 adult penguins, according to analysis of satellite images.