Penguins are under threat of extinction due to climate change

Global warming has already led to a decline in emperor penguin numbers by approximately 10%, and by 2080 their population could be halved. This conclusion was reached by experts from the International Union for Conservation of Nature based on model calculations. This was reported by the De Telegraaf portal.

According to the organization, in 2019 the population of these birds was estimated at more than 500,000 adult individuals. However, further melting of sea ice threatens their survival.

As marine ecologist Philip Trathan, who participated in the new assessment, noted, it is climate change that poses the greatest danger to the species: "After a thorough analysis of various threats, we concluded that human-caused climate change is the biggest threat to emperor penguins."

Emperor penguins inhabit Antarctica and depend on sea ice, on which they breed and raise their offspring. If the ice breaks up too early, it can lead to the death of chicks — especially during the period when they do not yet have waterproof plumage.

The problem affects other species as well. The Antarctic fur seal, for instance, has for the first time been given the status of "threatened" on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Over the past 25 years, its population has declined by more than 50%, and fewer than one million adult individuals now remain.

The primary cause is also attributed to ocean warming. Due to rising temperatures and shrinking ice cover, krill — a key food source — moves to greater depths, becoming less accessible.

In addition, the southern elephant seal has been reclassified as "vulnerable." These animals have proven susceptible to avian influenza: in some colonies, up to 90% of pups have died.

According to scientists' estimates, further warming could lead to large-scale changes in the Antarctic ecosystem, affecting multiple species simultaneously and disrupting food chains.