The International Union for Conservation of Nature has added emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals to its endangered list following sharp population declines. The southern elephant seal's status has shifted from least concern to vulnerable. Officials attribute these changes primarily to climate change and disease.
The IUCN Red List now classifies the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) as endangered. Satellite data indicates a 10% drop in emperor penguin numbers between 2009 and 2018, affecting over 20,000 adults. Projections point to the population halving by the 2080s due to shifting sea ice patterns from human-induced climate change, according to Philip Trathan of the British Antarctic Survey and IUCN Species Survival Commission member. He stated, “Early sea-ice break-up in spring is already affecting colonies around the Antarctic, and further changes in sea-ice will continue to affect their breeding, feeding and moulting habitat.”