• The main threats the emperor faces are giant petrels, as well as occasional attacks from skuas, leopard seals, and killer whales. Chicks are clearly at the greatest risk, due to their small and fragile size, but weakened and starving adults may also be taken as prey. the greatest cause of emperor mortality, however, is freezing potential and the harsh, Antarctic environment. There are some concerns that human disturbances may threaten breeding population numbers, and global warming could potentially impact sea ice and threaten penguin breeding grounds, however this is not an overwhelming concern. The emperor’s relationship to their predators makes them a necessary part of the Antarctic ecosystem. It is believed that colonies are currently stable in numbers, and thus they are not endangered or protected by laws. The emperor penguin requires a static, stable environment where its main enemy is the cold and wind. Any additional disturbances from humans could dramatically disrupt the balance and stability in numbers that they currently have.
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