The impacts of climate change in Antarctica have put both the emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal at risk of extinction, and both species should be considered endangered, a major international environmental group declared Thursday.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, or IUCN, named the penguin and seal to its “Red List of Threatened Species,” a 60-year old project that now tracks some 48,600 animals and plants.
“These important findings should spur us into action across all sectors and levels of society to decisively address climate change,” Grethel Aguilar, IUCN’s director general, said in a statement. “Antarctica’s role as our planet’s ‘frozen guardian’ is irreplaceable — offering untold benefits to humans, stabilising the climate and providing refuge to unique wildlife.”
According to IUCN, reductions in sea ice due to climate change are projected to result in the elimination of half of the emperor penguin population by 2080. The species has seen a reduction of about 10 percent between 2009 and 2018, or about 20,000 adult penguins.
