Antarctica is home to a variety of wildlife. Some are year round inhabitants while others only appear for short periods of time during the summer months. Permanent members of the wildlife community have adapted to be able to sustain the cold year-round environment, while summer visitors spend the majority of their time in other warmer latitudes for much of the year. However, all species are vital members of the rich Antarctic ecosystem.

The majority of Antarctica’s flora and fauna is concentrated in coastal and marine areas. Inland, the ecosystem is much more limited and almost all life in the terrestrial ecosystem ultimately depends on the sea for resources crucial to survival.

 
Biologic productivity in the Southern Ocean is higher than in any other waters in the world. The seawater is very cold and can hold dissolved gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen better than warmer waters. The area tends to be very windy, which causes storm-tossed seas to keep essential nutrients such as phosphates, nitrates and other minerals in suspension where they can be easily utilized by plankton. The presence of these conditions allow for the proliferation of plankton, the primary producer in the Antarctic food chain of the Southern Ocean.

Phytoplankton and Zooplankton are at the bottom of the food chain in Antarctica. They make up the food source for krill, a small crustacean that grows in abundance in the cold Southern Ocean. Krill gather in enormous swarms some ten to twenty meters deep, with a density of up to 15 kilograms per cubic meter of water.

Krill play a ‘keystone’ role in the Antarctic food chain. They are the main food source for penguins, fish, squid, sea birds, seals, and whales. Virtually all life in Antarctica is dependent on krill either directly or indirectly.

In 1959, after more than a century of intense marine-wildlife exploitation in the Antarctic Peninsula region, the international community recognized Antarctica as being an important area for scientific study and ecological preservation, and the Antarctic Treaty was born. Since its formation, 43 nations have signed it, and many more are in the process of doing so. The Antarctic wilderness is truly unique and because it plays a significant role in our global ecosystem, it deserves our attention and our protection.