Emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals are facing the threat of extinction due to climate change, a new conservation assessment has revealed.
Both populations have seen a dramatic decline in recent years, primarily driven by the loss of sea ice and dwindling food availability, according to the latest evaluation for the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species.
The findings have intensified calls for immediate action to curb planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions and to bolster Antarctica’s crucial role in stabilising the global climate and safeguarding its unique wildlife.
Martin Harper, chief executive of BirdLife International, which spearheaded the emperor penguin assessment, said: “Climate change is accelerating the extinction crisis before our eyes. Governments must act now to urgently decarbonise our economies.”
The emperor penguin, found exclusively in Antarctica, has been reclassified from “near threatened” to “endangered” on the list.
This change reflects how global warming is causing the premature break-up and disappearance of vital sea ice.
The birds rely on sea ice that is “fastened” to the coastline, ocean floor, or grounded icebergs, using it as a habitat for their chicks and during their moulting season when they are not waterproof, making its loss potentially fatal.
Satellite imagery indicates a roughly 10 per cent population decrease between 2009 and 2018 alone, accounting for over 20,000 adult penguins, the IUCN reported.
New projections suggest the species’ population could halve by the 2080s without a swift and significant reduction in emissions.
Rod Downie, WWF’s chief adviser for polar and oceans, warned: “The fate of these magnificent birds is in our hands. With the shocking decline in Antarctic sea ice that we are currently witnessing, these icons on ice may well be heading down the slippery slope towards extinction by the end of this century – unless we act now.”
Concurrently, the Antarctic fur seal has moved from “least concern” to “endangered” after its population plummeted by more than 50 per cent over 25 years.
The number of mature seals has fallen from an estimated 2,187,000 in 1999 to 944,000 in 2025. This decline is attributed to rising ocean temperatures and shrinking sea ice, which are forcing krill – a primary food source – to deeper, colder waters.
In South Georgia, an island situated north of Antarctica in the Atlantic Ocean, krill shortages have severely impacted the survival rates of seal pups in their first year, leading to an ageing breeding population, experts noted.
Elsewhere, the southern elephant seal has also seen its status change from “least concern” to “vulnerable” on the red list, following declines caused by bird flu.
The disease has affected four of the five major subpopulations, resulting in the deaths of over 90 per cent of newborn pups in some colonies and significantly impacting adult females.
This development comes amidst growing concerns that disease-related mortalities among marine animals will increase with global warming, particularly in polar regions where animals have historically had less exposure to pathogens.
Dr Kit Kovacs, co-chair of the IUCN pinniped specialist group, said: “These assessments sound an alarm for all Antarctic seals, as we are concerned about how environmental changes are affecting all ice-dependent species.”
Despite the logistical challenges and high costs, Dr Kovacs stressed that monitoring climate change in Antarctica is “urgently needed”.
She urged parties to support the collection of more data on seals at the upcoming Antarctic Treaty consultative meeting in May, where nations will convene to collaborate on research activities across the continent.
Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN director general, said: “These important findings should spur us into action across all sectors and levels of society to decisively address climate change. As countries prepare to gather at the Antarctic treaty consultative meeting in May, these assessments provide essential data to inform decisions regarding this majestic continent and its awe-inspiring wildlife.”
WWF, which has supported research efforts to monitor these species, is advocating for emperor penguins to be designated as a “specially protected species” under the Antarctic Treaty.