Icefish well adapted to life in cold
water with anti-freeze, but no red blood cells in their blood (image below) thrive in the seas of Antarctica’s continental shelf along with sea pigs, giant sea spiders, octopus, rare rays and basket stars are revealed in a series of new photographs released this week. The images were captured by a research team from across Europe, the United States, Australia and
South Africa on board the British Antarctic Survey ship James Clark Ross
who sampled and photographed marine creatures from the Bellingshausen Sea in West Antarctica – one of the fastest warming seas in the world.
“For me the most astonishing evidence is the
way that one man-made environmental impact - the ozone hole - has
shielded most of Antarctica from another - global warming,” reported
John Turner of the BAS team.
“For me the most astonishing evidence is the
way that one man-made environmental impact - the ozone hole - has
shielded most of Antarctica from another - global warming. There is no
doubt that our world is changing and human activity is accelerating
global change. This review is a major step forward in making sure that
the latest and best evidence is available in one place,” said Turner.
“It sets the scene for future Antarctic Research and provides the
knowledge that we all need to help us live with environmental change.”
Research cruise leader Dr. David Barnes of British Antarctic Survey said, “Few people realize just how rich in biodiversity the Southern Ocean is – even a single trawl can reveal a fascinating array of weird and wonderful creatures as would be seen on a coral reef.”
“These animals are potentially very good indicators of environmental change as many occur in the shallows, which are changing fast, but also in deeper water which will warm much less quickly,” said Dr. Barnes. “We can now begin to get a better understanding of how the ecosystem will adapt to change. Our research on species living in the waters surrounding the BAS Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula shows that some species are incredibly sensitive to temperature changes.”
Marine algae distribution and sea ice retreat are two of the strongest impacts of climate change measured in the region to date.
Based on the latest evidence from 100 scientists from 13 countries, the review focuses on the impact and consequences of rapid warming of the Antarctic Peninsula and the Southern Ocean - rapid ice loss in parts of Antarctica and the increase in sea ice around the continent; the impact of climate change on plants and animals; the unprecedented increase in carbon dioxide levels; the connections between human-induced global change and natural variability; and the fact that the ozone hole has shielded most of Antarctica from global warming.
The British Antarctic Survey research voyage is part of an international study on sea surface to seabed biodiversity. Scientists used a wide array of equipment to collect samples of animals from the coast to the open ocean, ranging in size from microscopic to giant.
Peter Bucktrout photographed the unusual variety of life from on and above the deep continental shelf.
“Our new studies on the diverse range of marine creatures living in the deep waters of the Bellingshausen Sea will help us build a more complete picture of Antarctica’s marine biodiversity and give us an important baseline against which we can compare future impact on marine life,” said Dr. Barnes.
BAS biologist Dr. Sophie Fielding studies krill - small crustaceans that are the main food for penguins, seals and whales. During the research cruise she found wide variations in species living within a relatively small area.
“Changes at the Earth’s surface directly affect the surrounding ocean and the marine animals living there,” said Dr. Fielding. “For example, accelerating glacier melt, collapse of ice shelves and shrinking winter sea ice all seem to be impacting sea life. We want to understand that impact and what the implications for the food chain may be.”
Dr. Stefanie Kaiser is a German scientists who specializes in studying small seabed animals. She said, “Although many of these animals are tiny, their behavior helps us paint a much bigger picture in terms of how marine life may react to changes to the environment.”
Casey Kazan
Image Credit: Icefish BAS.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2009/2009-12-22-02.asp
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/about_bas/news/news_story.php?id=1090
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