Emperor penguins and fur seals now Endangered as climate change reshapes Antarctica, IUCN Red List finds

Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) have been uplisted to Endangered category, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

The IUCN has cited climate change in Antarctica as the primary driver, resulting in changes to sea ice that are projected to halve emperor penguin populations by the 2080s. “While reduced food availability has already driven a 50 per cent reduction in the Antarctic fur seal population since 2000, the southern elephant seal is also now at risk of extinction due to disease,” it said in a statement.

Sea-ice loss threatens emperor penguins

Emperor penguins were previously listed as Near Threatened (NT), and scientists had called for stronger protection by elevating their status. In 2022, they were listed as Threatened under the United States’ Endangered Species Act of 1973.

Satellite imagery indicates a loss of around 10 per cent of the population between 2009 and 2018 alone, equating to more than 20,000 adult penguins, the IUCN said.

“The primary driver is the early break-up and loss of sea ice, which has reached record lows since 2016. Emperor penguins require fast ice — sea ice that is ‘fastened’ to the coastline, ocean floor or grounded icebergs — as habitat for their chicks and during their moulting season, when they are not waterproof. If the ice breaks up too early, the result can be deadly,” it added.