# BAS Researchers Find Chinstrap Penguin Colony Decline

> Antarctic penguin colony loses half a million nests to climate change.
- Title: BAS Researchers Find Chinstrap Penguin Colony Decline
- Summary: Antarctic penguin colony loses half a million nests to climate change. Zavodovski Island's chinstrap penguin population dropped 63% since 2011 due to warming…
- Keywords: british antarctic survey, chinstrap penguins, zavodovski island, south sandwich islands, iucn red list, antarctic krill, climate change, news, world, politics, BAS, Researchers
- Source: MercoPress — https://en.mercopress.com/2026/10/12/bas-researchers-uncover-chinstrap-penguins-massive-colony-decline-in-antarctic-volcanic-island
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: british antarctic survey, chinstrap penguins, zavodovski island, south sandwich islands, iucn red list, antarctic krill, climate change, news, world, politics
## Penguin Colony Decline
BAS researchers found Zavodovski Island lost over half a million chinstrap penguins since 2011.
## World's Largest Colony
Zavodovski Island cedes its title as the world's largest penguin colony to Cape Adare in the Ross Sea.
## Population Decline
Chinstrap penguin numbers dropped 63% from 2011 to 2025, the highest rate in the world.
## Climate Change Cause
Warming Southern Ocean disrupted penguins' food supply, moving krill southward into the Weddell Sea.
## Penguin Behavior Shift
Chinstraps prefer cooler waters northwest of the island where Antarctic krill are found.
## Macaroni Penguins
Macaroni penguin numbers increased 28% from 2011 to 2016 and remained stable since.
## Endangered Status
Chinstrap penguins may become endangered on the IUCN Red List due to population declines.
## Key takeaway

Zavodovski Island's chinstrap penguin population dropped 63% since 2011 due to warming Southern Ocean.