Conservation & Threats

How does climate change affect penguins?

Climate change affects penguins in multiple ways. Rising temperatures reduce Antarctic sea ice, which emperor penguins need for breeding and which supports the krill populations that many species depend on. Warmer ocean temperatures shift fish and krill distributions, forcing penguins to travel farther to find food. Some colonies have experienced catastrophic breeding failures when sea ice breaks up too early. In 2022, four out of five known emperor penguin colonies in the Bellingshausen Sea experienced total breeding failure due to early ice loss. Sub-Antarctic species face increased storm intensity, flooding nests and killing chicks.