Study: Thousands of emperor penguin chicks died at the end of 2022 due to low ice levels

More than nine thousand emperor penguin chicks are likely to have died at the end of 2022 due to record low icing in Antarctica, according to a new study from the British Antarctic Survey. Scientists call this event “unprecedented.”

Researchers say four of the five emperor penguin colonies in the Bellingshausen Sea disappeared due to melting ice before the penguin offspring could grow water-repellent plumage. The disruption to penguin breeding, scientists say, supports predictions that 90% of emperor penguin colonies will become quasi-extinct by the end of the 21st century. .

Since 2016, Antarctica has seen four years with the lowest sea ice extent in 45 years of satellite observations. Between 2021 and 2023 its area was at its lowest. Climatologists blame the global climate crisis for the reduction of ice masses.