Antarctica’s emperor penguins are on the brink of extinction amid rapid sea ice melt, an alarming study has warned Leave a comment

Antarctica’s emperor penguins are on the brink of extinction amid rapid sea ice melt, an alarming study has warned. 

Scientists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) claim that 90 per cent of colonies could be wiped out by the end of the century, based on current trends of . 

Their warning follows the analysis of stark satellite imagery from 2022, hinting that no chicks survived from four of the five known groups breeding near the central and eastern Bellingshausen Sea.

This failure to provide offspring marks an unprecedented first for the region – and experts believe it will only worsen in the coming years.

‘We have never seen emperor penguins fail to breed, at this scale, domino4d in a single season,’ said Dr Peter Fretwell, a Geographic Information Officer at the institution.