The penguin breeding season in Antarctica this year has been one of the worst on record. All but two Adelie penguin chicks have starved to death in their east Antarctic colony. Unusually high amounts of ice late in the season meant adults had to travel further to find food for their young.
It is the second bad season in five years after no chicks survived in 2015. Conservation groups are calling for urgent action on a new marine protection area in the east Antarctic to protect the colony of about 36,000.
WWF says a ban on krill fishing in the area would eliminate their competition and help to secure the survival of Antarctic species, including the Adelie penguins. The conservation organisation has been supporting research with French scientists in the region monitoring penguin numbers since 2010.
Adelie penguins, the most southerly breeding bird in the world, are found along the Antarctic coast. They breed from October to February, typically laying two eggs in nests made of stones, and parents take turns to incubate the eggs.