By Christina Larson

With climate change threatening the sea ice habitat of Emperor penguins, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday announced a proposal to list the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

“The lifecycle of Emperor penguins is tied to having stable sea ice, which they need to breed, to feed and to molt,” said Stephanie Jenouvrier, a penguin ecologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Research published Tuesday in the journal Global Change Biology found that by 2100, 98% of Emperor penguin colonies may be pushed to the brink of extinction, if no changes are made to current rates of carbon emissions and climate change.

Around 70% of colonies will be in danger sooner, by 2050.

The new study looked at overall warming trends and the increasing likelihood of extreme weather fluctuations due to global warming. And it noted that extremely low levels of sea ice in 2016 led to a massive breeding failure of an Emperor penguin colony in Antarctica’s Halley Bay.

That year, seasonal sea ice broke up before penguin chicks had time to develop waterproof adult feathers, and about 10,000 baby birds drowned, Jenouvrier said. The colony did not recover afterward.

Emperor penguins breed exclusively in Antarctica during winter. They endure temperatures of minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 degrees Celsius) and wind speeds approaching 90 miles (144 kilometers) per hour by huddling together in groups of several thousand birds. But they can't survive without sufficient sea ice.

“These penguins are hard hit by the climate crisis, and the U.S. government is finally recognizing that threat,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity.

The U.S. government has previously listed species outside the country as threatened, including the polar bear, which lives in Arctic regions and is also imperiled by climate change and sea ice loss.

Emperor penguins — the world's largest penguins — currently number about 270,000 to 280,000 breeding pairs, or 625,000 to 650,000 individuals. The proposed listing will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday to open to a 60-day public comment period.

Listing the bird provides protections such as prohibition against importing them for commercial purposes. Potential impacts on penguins must also be evaluated by U.S. marine fisheries currently operating in Antarctica.

“Climate change, a priority challenge for this Administration, impacts a variety of species throughout the world," said Martha Williams, principal deputy director of the wildlife service. "The decisions made by policymakers today and during the next few decades will determine the fate of the Emperor penguin.”

Share:
More In Science
COP26 Compromises Could Still Have Climate Deal Fall Short of Emissions Goal
The two-week COP26 climate conference has now ended with leaders reaching a deal, but so far the deal is getting mixed reviews from climate experts across the globe. Chloe Demrovsky, president and CEO of Disaster Recovery Institute International, explains that while the agreement is a step forward in some ways, the world still has much more to work on in order to keep warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.
Moderna Says COVID Vaccine Protection Outweighs Rare Condition Risk
Moderna is defending its COVID-19 vaccine after a study found an increase in reports of myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart, in males ages 12 to 29 — about 13.3 cases in every 100,000 subjects. The pharmaceutical giant said the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risk of the possible negative side effect.
VF Corp Commits to Achieving Zero Waste by Year-End
The parent company of North Face, Vans and Supreme, VF Corp, released its fourth annual "Made for Change" sustainability and responsibility report. It details the company's ongoing efforts to tackle social and climate related issues. This comes as climate experts continue to warn about the dangers of fast fashion and its impact on global CO2 emissions. Sean Cady, Vice President of Global Sustainability, Responsibility and Trade at VF Corporation, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Examining UN Climate Conference Developments So Far
As the UN climate conference is set to wrap this week, we take a look at pledges that world leaders have signed onto so far and the most important developments to come out of COP26. Sandeep Pai, Senior Research Lead at the Just Transition Initiative, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss the most important global initiatives and biggest pledges made by global leaders, and whether or not they can truly make an impact if two of the world's biggest economies, China and Russia, did not attend and are not fully committed to major climate initiatives.
Global Medical Community Issues Warning About Health Impacts of Climate Change
A group of health experts from around the world is issuing a dire warning about the climate crisis, saying that climate change is the greatest global health threat facing the world this century and is set to become the 'defining narrative of human health.' The Lancet medical journal stated that warning in its annual report, along with a policy brief for the United States detailing actions the country can take to stop millions of unnecessary deaths. Director of Climate for Health at EcoAmerica Rebecca Rehr joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
U.N. Releases Draft Agreement for COP26
The COP26 summit in Scotland is in its final days, and the U.N. has just released a draft of an agreement for more than 200 world leaders to sign on Friday. The draft urges nations to set more aggressive goals in cutting emissions, while also calling for coal to be phased out. Chloe Demrovsky, President and CEO of Disaster Recovery Institute International, joins Cheddar News to discuss this agreement.
Load More