Thousands of penguin chicks perish as disappearing Antarctic sea ice devastates breeding colonies

Multiple emperor penguin colonies across Antarctica experienced catastrophic breeding failure and chick mortality due to disappearing sea ice in 2022.
In the Bellingshausen Sea region, four out of five colonies monitored saw complete chick loss, indicating regional scale breeding failure.
Researchers utilized satellite imagery to assess the loss, showing stark disappearances of penguin breeding sites.
The unstable ice conditions meant penguin chicks drowned or froze before developing waterproof feathers.
If climate change persists, over 90% of emperor penguin colonies face quasi-extinction by 2100.