March of the penguins into peril

The entire population of Antarctica’s famous emperor penguins could fall by a third by the end of the century because of disappearing sea ice, putting them at risk of extinction, say researchers.

Writing in the journal Nature Climate Change, scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts say their findings justify protecting emperor penguins under the Endangered Species Act – as the US already does for polar bears. They also call for marine reserves to be created to buffer the fish stocks penguins need to survive.