A new analysis of up-to-date satellite imagery suggests the birds’ numbers declined 22% over a 15-year period (2009 to 2024) in a key sector of the continent.
This compares with an earlier estimate (2009 and 2018) of a 9.5% reduction across Antarctica as a whole.
Experts at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are now checking to see whether their latest assessment in the narrower geographic range reflects the same story across Antarctica.
Our Science Correspondent Martin Stew is there, and spoke to those raising the alarm.
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