Record low sea ice in late 2023 led to breeding failures in one-fifth of Antarctica's emperor penguin colonies, scientists with the British Antarctic Survey say. Emperors are the world's largest penguin species and one of only two endemics to Antarctica.

Smyley

Emperor penguins, the world’s largest penguin species and native exclusively to Antarctica, faced significant breeding challenges in 2023, as reported by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. These challenges were attributed to record low levels of sea ice in the region, critically impacting one-fifth of the continent's emperor penguin colonies.

According to the researchers, the diminished sea ice is a direct consequence of rising temperatures and climate change, leading to conditions that jeopardize the species' breeding processes. Emperor penguins rely on sea ice that is firmly anchored to the shore for laying their eggs and nurturing their chicks. Early breakup of this ice forces chicks into the water before their waterproof feathers are fully developed, resulting in a fatal inability to survive due to drowning or freezing.

Peter Fredwell, a scientist who studies wildlife using satellite technology, highlighted the severity of the situation by noting that premature ice breakup led to the deaths of chicks in 14 out of 66 emperor penguin colonies last year. This phenomenon underscores the direct link between sea ice stability and the survival rate of emperor penguin offspring.

Despite these challenges, there is an indication that some emperor penguin colonies are beginning to adapt to the changing environmental conditions. The year 2023 witnessed fewer breeding failures across the species' colonies compared to the previous year, even with the lower sea ice extent. This adaptation might provide a glimmer of hope for the species, although the long-term outlook remains concerning, with projections suggesting a potential loss of up to 99% of all emperor penguins by the century's end if current trends persist.



Emperor penguins suffered mass breeding failures in 2023

Emperor penguins suffered mass breeding failures due to record low sea ice in 2023. That's according to scientists with the British Antarctic Survey. We're predicting that we'll lose around 90, well 99% possibly at least of all the emperor penguins by the end of this century, 75 years from now. Emperors are the world's largest penguin species and one of only two endemics to Antarctica. They depend on sea ice firmly attached to the shore to lay eggs and raise their chicks. If ice breaks up too early, the chicks will be forced to enter the sea before their waterproof feathers have fully come in. Peter Fredwell studies wildlife using satellites. If the ice breaks up too early, then they'll go into the water without their waterproof feathers and they'll die. They'll either freeze to death or they'll drown. That happened to 14 out of Antarctica's 66 emperor penguin colonies last year. Scientists say it's because Antarctic sea ice shrank to a record low, driven in part by rising temperatures and climate change. But some of the birds seem to be adapting to the changing conditions. Even though 2023 saw a lower sea ice extent than the year before, emperor penguins' colonies experienced fewer breeding failures than in 2022.

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