Emperor penguins are the largest but least prevalent Antarctic penguin species, with scientists estimating a total population of about 600,000
Four new emperor penguin colonies have been discovered in Antarctica, after their guano was spotted from space, giving what a leading scientist believes is a near-full picture of the species’ population as it comes under threat due to disappearing sea ice.
A peer-reviewed study last year found a record drop in the amount of floating sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea in late 2022 could have caused a “catastrophic breeding failure” that killed thousands of emperor penguin chicks across four breeding colonies.
