The Southern Ocean's role in driving the global carbon cycle may be stronger than expected as the biological carbon pump is not "switched off" in winter as previously thought.

A research team led by the University of Minnesota Twin Cities has completed a first-ever global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica, showing that there are significantly fewer seals than previously thought. Documenting the seals' population trends over time will help scientists better understand the effects of climate change and commercial fishing.

In her many years as the director of the animal ambassador programs for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, Julie Scardina was a favorite guest on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and the "Today" show. Thanks to her high TV profile, the energetic animal lover brought adorable baby penguins, a blanket-wrapped baby gibbon and a free-flying Scarlet ibis to millions of homes across America.

Preserved penguin poop may be the key to connecting past Antarctic Ocean conditions and penguin populations, shedding light on how the birds and the region's ecosystem might fare as the climate changes.  

A swarm of bees has killed 63 endangered African penguins on a beach outside Cape Town, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds said on Sunday.