Emperor Penguins Now "Endangered" as Sea Ice Vanishes

The emperor penguin is officially at risk of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has moved the species to its "Endangered" list. This change follows new research on how climate change threatens the birds. Emperor penguins need stable sea ice to breed and raise their chicks. They also use it as a home base for hunting. As global temperatures rise, this critical sea ice is melting and breaking up earlier. This leads to widespread breeding failure and death among penguin chicks. Scientists say if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate, the emperor penguin population could shrink by more than 99% by 2100. The IUCN listing is a direct call for climate action to protect the species' future.