Two Antarctic animal species, the emperor penguin and the Antarctic fur seal, have been officially listed as endangered, according to a new update from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
They have both been moved to a higher threat level on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The list is the world’s most important system for measuring how close a species is to extinction.
Emperor penguins at risk of halving by the 2080s
The emperor penguin, the world’s largest penguin species, has moved from “near threatened” to “endangered.” Scientists project that the population will halve by the 2080s if greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically reduced.
Satellite images already show a loss of around 10% of the population between 2009 and 2018, equal to more than 20,000 adult penguins.
The main cause is the early break-up of sea ice. Emperor penguins need stable ice attached to the coastline to raise their chicks and to moult, a process during which they temporarily lose their waterproof feathers.
If the ice breaks up too early, chicks can fall into the sea before they are able to swim, with deadly results.
Antarctic fur seal population down by 50%
The Antarctic fur seal has moved from “least concern” all the way to “endangered.” Its population has dropped by more than 50% since 1999, falling from an estimated 2.2 million to around 944,000 in 2025.
Rising ocean temperatures are pushing krill, the small shrimp-like creatures that seals depend on for food, deeper into the ocean in search of colder water. This makes krill much harder for seals to find. As a result, fewer young seals are surviving their first year of life.
Krill is also under pressure from industrial fishing in Antarctic waters. Earlier this month, environmentalists disrupted krill fishing operations in Antarctica, because the practice threatens the entire food chain.
Southern elephant seal also at risk
A third species, the southern elephant seal, has moved from “least concern” to “vulnerable.” The main cause is bird flu, a disease that has spread widely among animals since 2020. In some colonies, the disease has killed more than 90% of newborn pups.
The IUCN Red List is updated regularly. It is used by governments and scientists around the world to guide conservation decisions.
Today’s findings come ahead of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in May. Countries will gather in Japan to discuss the future of the continent.
Scientists say the declines of these species are a clear sign that climate change is having real and measurable consequences for wildlife. They say urgent action is needed to reduce emissions and protect polar ecosystems.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theanimalreader.com
