Mussels are the first-ever invasive species to take up residence in Antarctica, as found by a new study published last month in Scientific Report. According to the study, scientists found a colony of mussels, most likely transported accidentally to the frozen continent from Patagonia via ship, some 75 miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula.
A research base in the Antarctic has recorded the hottest temperature ever for the continent amid rising concern about global warming that has caused an increase in the melting of ice sheets around the South Pole.
The Pew Charitable Trusts expressed disappointment that for an eighth consecutive year, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) ended its annual meeting without designating marine protections in the waters off East Antarctica. Member governments also failed to reach consensus on the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Weddell Sea and Antarctic Peninsula.
A keystone prey species in the Southern Ocean is retreating towards the Antarctic because of climate change. Krill are small, shrimp-like creatures that swarm in vast numbers and form a major part of the diets of whales, penguins, seabirds, seals and fish. Scientists say warming conditions in recent decades have led to the krill contracting pole-ward.
Nasa has released a striking photo of a rectangular iceberg floating in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica. The US space agency said the object's sharp angles and flat surface suggested it had recently broken away from an ice shelf. The edges are still pointed, and have not yet been worn down by the ocean waves.
The United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) is delighted to reveal details of the quintet who will live and work at Port Lockroy on a remote island off the Antarctic Peninsula during the 2018/19 Austral Antarctic summer (November – March).
A thriving “hotspot” of 1.5 million Adelie penguins, a species fast declining in parts of the world, has been discovered on remote islands off the Antarctic Peninsula, surprised scientists. The first bird census of the Danger Islands unearthed over 750,000 Adelie breeding pairs, more than the rest of the area combined, the team reported in the journal Scientific Reports.
The number of Chinese visitors to the Antarctic Peninsula is growing rapidly, adding to concerns over the fragile ecosystem. It’s almost a three-week trip and will cost at least 100,000 Yuan (US$15,000), and before a foot is set on frozen land, special boots are needed to walk over a sponge mat soaked in disinfectant. Besides this season Chinese tourists will have to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions.
Schedules for the coming tourist season show a significant increase in the number of ships (11%) and visitors planning to visit South Georgia, and a consequent expected increase in tourist numbers (20%), according to the latest South Georgia Newsletter July release.
A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Antarctica, generating large waves but causing no injuries, seismic experts at Argentina's Orcadas base in Antarctica reported on Monday.