The record low Antarctic sea ice extent in 2022, particularly in the Bellingshausen Sea, caused a widespread breeding failure among emperor penguin colonies. Satellite imagery revealed that four out of five colonies in the region experienced total breeding failure due to sea ice break-up before the chicks could fledge. This is the first documented instance of such a large-scale breeding failure directly linked to significant sea ice loss, highlighting the vulnerability of emperor penguins to climate change.

Peter T. Fretwell, Aude Boutet, Norman Ratcliffe