Dear MEL Topic Readers,
These two iconic polar species have been driven to endangered status by
a warming planet
Established in 1964, the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List) is a critical indicator
of the health of the world’s biodiversity. More than 170,000 species have been
assessed for the list to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity
conservation and policy change. Its new assessment has moved two iconic
Antarctic species, the emperor penguin and the Antarctic fur seal, to “Endangered”
(EN) status, a very high risk of extinction. The emperor penguin has lost its
population mainly due to early breakup and losses of sea ice caused by global
warming. Since emperor penguins live and breed on sea ice connected to the
coastline, their habitat has been lost as sea ice decreases. The population of
the Antarctic fur seal has decreased by more than 50% in the last 25 years as
krill availability declines, their main food source. As surface water
temperatures increase near Antarctica, krill have moved farther offshore and
into deeper waters, which has made it harder for land-based seals to capture them.
Since both species have no alternative place or food to live on, their future
depends on the environment, which is heavily affected by humans.
Read the article and learn about two Antarctic species whose future is
endangered.
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