Are chinstrap penguins on the verge of extinction?

Are chinstrap penguins on the verge of extinction?

A remote island near Antarctica no longer has the world's largest penguin population, according to a new study.

Researchers say changes in the marine food web, possibly linked to global warming, have dramatically reduced the number of penguins on the island.

The study by the British Antarctic Survey, recently published in the scientific journal "Current Biology" and based on drone and satellite images, shows that Zavodovski volcanic island lost more than 680,000 penguins between 2011 and 2025.

The chinstrap penguin gets its name from the narrow black stripe extending beneath its chin and ending at the cap band or beard line.

The main food of this penguin is krill; a crustacean-like marine animal that is an important part of the cold water food chain. Warming ocean waters can bring krill to colder southern waters and reduce the penguins' access to their main food.

Norman Ratcliffe, the lead author of the study, told Agence France-Presse that the decline in the number of penguins on Zavodovski Island is happening at a very rapid rate.

This finding has raised concerns about the decline of the chinstrap penguin population throughout the South Sandwich Islands; Zavodovski is part of this archipelago and the South Sandwich Islands contain about 38% of this species' population.

Researchers say the International Union for Conservation of Nature should change its conservation status to "endangered" due to the alarming decline of these penguins in the region.

This species is currently in the "Least Concern" category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature; this means it is not considered endangered.

Read the full report on the Radio Farda website.