British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · Feb 25 Emperor penguins replace their feathers all in one go. It takes up to 40 days, burns half their body weight in energy, and leaves them completely unable to enter the water until new feathers come through. If the ice breaks up before they're done, they will likely freeze and die. 🧵 2/5
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The coastline is Marie Byrd Land, a remote area of West Antarctica which historically has retained its sea ice through the summer. It's where 40% of emperor penguins migrate to safely shed their feathers. But 2022-24, sea ice in the region shrank from an area the size of Spain to almost nothing.