I’ve been collecting articles about the antarctic, for future use in podcasts relating to what is happening there. While my interest is in the nations with competing claims over pieces of the antarctic, I’m also interested in how global warming is speeding up the ice melting there and what happens as a result.
One story I read today, was about the animal known as “pink gold” or “krill”, which is abundant in Antarctica. According to the article, Krill are:
small shrimp-like crustaceans which with modern technology can be used in fish feed, human dietary supplements, soya sauce flavoring, pharmaceuticals, or even to clean the paintings of Old Masters .
The list of uses and benefits of Krill go on and on, and well worth reading. But there is also a great danger that they are being overfished, which brings a whole other list of problems for the antarctic ecosystem.
Another issue is invasive species. Wherever you live you certainly come into contact with some type of invasive species; plant or animal life that is not native to your area but was introduced somehow and becomes overwhelming to all others and in turn damages the ecosystem.
In the case of Antarctica, scientists and tourists have apparently unknowingly caused invasive species to appear there. Even the smallest of moss or mold, or even rats coming off visiting ships, are a huge risk to Antarctica which is known for never having experienced any type of major invasive species.
The learning continues… related podcast coming soon.