International audienceAmong the outcomes of the drastic changes aff ectingthe Earth ’ s ecosystems, nothing is more telling than acomplete failure in the reproductive success of a sentinelspecies: a ‘ zero ’ year. Here, we found that unusualenvironmental conditions in the Terre Ad é lie sector ofAntarctica disrupted the breeding activity of Ad é lie penguinsPygoscelis adeliae on land – but also their foragingactivity at sea – to such a degree that no chicks survivedin the 2013/2014 breeding season. Uncommonly heavyprecipitation for this normally dry desert killed chicksen masse, while weak katabatic winds maintained apersistent sea ice around the colony, thereby impactingchick provisioning by adults. Extreme events such as thishave direct repercussions for the species in question, andmay also aff ect the wider sea-ice dependent food web.Understanding the nature, frequency, and consequencesof such events are central to the management and conservationof this remote yet crucial ecosystem

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