Not sure how we missed this earlier in the month, but thanks to climate change, the long term outlook for Antarctica's king penguin population isn't looking so good. A PNAS study published two weeks ago warns that the two million breeding pairs face the possibility of extinction because the marine life they depend on for food aren't faring well in the warming waters of the Southern Ocean.

Because of their position near the top rung of the food chain on the seven sub-Antarctic island groups where they live, king penguins are a good indicator of any changes to the ecosystem. While increases in air temperature and melting ice have hurt other species on the continent, it's the warming waters that are of greatest concern to scientists studying this species of bird.

The scientists, who studied more than 450 penguins for nine years, said the warmer temperatures can reduce the numbers of small fish and squid the penguins eat, making it harder for the birds to survive and feed their chicks.

Researchers found even small bumps in ocean temperature have a large impact on the species. An increase of just 0.25 degrees Celsius (0.45 degrees Fahrenheit) in surface sea temperature translated into a 9 percent decline in an adult bird's chance of survival. Given current global warming predictions call for a 0.4ºC ocean temperature rise over the next two decades, the scientists conclude that the penguins face a "heavy extinction risk".

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