Emperor penguins could go extinct by 2100 Stefan Christmann/naturepl.com Two of Antarctica’s most iconic species, the emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri ) and the Antarctic fur seal ( Arctocephalus gazella ), have declined so dramatically and rapidly that they have been classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. A third Antarctic species, the southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina ), has had its status updated from “least concern” to “vulnerable”. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) runs the Red List, which is regarded as the world’s most comprehensive listing of the global conservation status of animal, fungus and plant species. Satellite images show that around 10 per cent of the emperor penguin population was lost between 2009 and 2018, equating to more than 20,000 adults, according to the IUCN. Projections suggest that the population will halve by the 2080s.…