Researchers with the British Antarctic Survey say more than 1,000 Empire penguin chicks perished when the ice shelf they were on collapsed in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. The disappearance was first noticed on satellite imagery two years ago and was just investigated in person by British researchers who reported the heart-breaking news Wednesday. The imagery shows penguin excrement was present as the ice sheet teetered in severe weather, implying that the colony slid into the water and drowned. Researchers say the entire ice shelf is now gone.
