A recently concluded expedition, organized by Greenpeace together with the American universities Stony Brook and the Northeastern, has studied the chin strap penguins in Antarctica. On Elephant Island, the penguin species has, on average, declined by 60 percent and some populations by as much as 77 percent since the 1970s.

"We have been to Elephant Island, which is an incredibly important area in Antarctica and what we have seen is that the chin strap penguin on average has decreased by 60 percent since the 1970s," says Frida Bengtsson, Greenpeace.

The species is not threatened

In some parts of Elephant Island, populations have decreased by as much as 77 percent.

"The reduction we have seen is definitely dramatic," says biologist Steve Forrest, who participated in the expedition.

Although the chin strap penguins are declining in Antarctica, the species is not threatened, but the decline is worrying.

- There are plenty of Hakrems penguins, but the question is why this population is declining and what it is due to, says Forrest.

The chin strap penguin is found in the South Pacific and Antarctica and lives in krill.

- Something happens to the basic building blocks of the food chain here. We see less food surplus which makes these stocks smaller and smaller over time and the question is - will this continue ?, says Steve Forrest.

"Pointing to climate change"

"While several factors may play a role, the evidence we have against climate change is behind the changes we see," says Heather Lynch of Stony Brook University.

Last week, record heat was reported in parts of Antarctica. In the area of ​​the Western Arctic that Argentina claims was measured on Thursday, 18.3 degrees, the highest temperature so far measured in the area, Argentina's National Meteorological Institute reports.