Emperor penguins

"The emperor is the largest living penguin species standing around 115cm tall . . . Emperor’s are well adapted to thrive in the freezing conditions of the Antarctic. To preserve heat, they have a dense double layer of feathers – about 70 feathers per square inch – large fat reserves and, proportionally, smaller beaks and flippers compared to other penguins . . . Populations have declined by up to 50% in some places and one colony off the Antarctic Peninsula has disappeared completely. The biggest threat to them right now is climate change due to changes in the sea ice they depend on . . . Emperor penguins are a vital part of the Antarctic food chain – they eat creatures like squid and small fish, and are an important source of food for predators like leopard seals and large sharks." If emperor penguin populations continue to dwindle, it will have cascading effects on the delicate Antarctic ecosystem, leading to imbalances in the food chain, decreased biodiversity, and potential disruption to the overall functioning of the marine ecosystem.