(Dr. Yvon Le Maho Photo)
Antarctica's beloved king penguins may be facing a climate catastrophe. In a recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers say the populations - now at more than 2 million breeding pairs since rebounding from near extinction in the last century - could collapse as the surface temperature of the Southern Ocean warms. The scientists, who studied more than 450 penguins for nine years, said warmer temperatures can reduce the numbers of small fish and squid the penguins eat, making it harder for the regal creatures to survive and feed their chicks.
BETH DALEY
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