Far from the troubles of man lies the vast continent of Antarctica. With the nearest city of Ushuaia some 774 miles away from the isolated landscape, this frozen waste is considered by many to be the last great wilderness on Earth.
And though it may appear bleak and barren at first, with its abandoned whaling stations, storm-white seas, and ice-clad peaks, it is actually home to an incredibly diverse mix of marine life. Life, which makes it one of the most ecologically rich places on Earth. In the harshest environment on the planet, Antarctica's creatures thrive, adapting to extreme cold, winds, and darkness in unexpected ways.
So let’s take a look at some of Earth's southernmost weird and wonderful wildlife.
Wingless midge
The wingless midge may be small at just 2-6mm long, but it holds the title of largest, and only, terrestrial animal native to Antarctica. It can't fly but this is thought to be an adaptation to the harsh winds on the continent which could otherwise blow it into inhospitable areas. Despite living in one of the coldest places on the planet the wingless midge can't actually withstand temperatures below -15°C and so it will burrow 1 cm down to find shelter from the extreme cold. It survives there by accumulating excess sugars in its body which act as a natural antifreeze. This, as well as dehydrating itself of up to 70% of the water in its body, prevents the formation of ice crystals that could rupture its cells.
Penguins
A more emblematic, and (sorry midge) but probably more loved species, is the penguin. 18 different species of penguin can be found on Antarctica across the changing seasons, but only the emperor and Adélie call it their true home. Across the world these lovable birds contribute to their various environments and this is no less true in Antarctica.
Researchers have recently found that penguin colonies promote biodiversity in their surroundings far more than previously thought. And the secret to their success lies in their nitrogen-rich faeces. As they defecate around the coastline, ammonia within the faeces is released and carried inland by strong winds. This provides plants, like lichen, with an otherwise impossible to come by source of nitrogen so they can in turn support more life in the barren landscape of inland Antarctica.
Think of penguins as the gardeners of the southern pole, fertilising the soil as they go.
The deep sea
While life on land is sparse, the deep waters around Antarctica tell a different story. Beneath the icy surface, a whopping 20,000 creatures thrive on the seafloor, dwarfing the 90 or so marine mammals and birds that frequent more shallow waters. Among these deep-sea natives are giant sponges which can soar to 2 metres tall and live for an astonishing 15,000 years. Crawling around in the murky seabed below them are sea spiders larger than dinner plates - no this isn’t a children’s spooky story. Breathing and storing their organs in their legs, they’re just one example of the bizarre but brilliant examples of animal adaptation in the southern ocean. Remarkably, only a fraction of these species in the deep sea, around 11-12,000, have been named by scientists, leaving much of this underwater world still shrouded in mystery.
Octopus
The deep waters surrounding Antarctica hold more than just unique creatures, they also bear clues to the evolutionary history of octopuses. The Turquet's octopus, a small cephalopod inhabiting depths of up to 4,000m in Antarctica, has DNA that suggests it may be the ancestor of deep-sea octopus around the world.
A recent study revealed that between 54,000 and 139,000 years ago (during the Last Interglacial period) when the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) collapsed, previously isolated populations of Turquet's octopus were able to interbreed.
Though this species lives all around Antarctica, the populations in the Ross Sea and Weddell Sea are separated by the impassable WAIS and rarely venture far from where they live. This interbreeding event not only provides evidence for when the WAIS collapse likely happened but it also sheds light on how Antarctic octopuses may have given rise to deep-sea species worldwide. As the ice sheet melted, new waterways opened up, allowing the Turquet's octopus to migrate to other parts of the ocean and over time, evolve into the diverse array of deep-sea octopus species that we see around the world today.
Icefish
In the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean, one particular group of fish have evolved to thrive remarkably well in the extreme conditions. Icefishes are a prime example of adaptation with special "antifreeze" glycoproteins which prevent ice from forming in their cells. Some species are considered "white-blooded" as they no longer produce haemoglobin - the protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood - making their blood less viscous and allowing it to flow more easily around the body, preserving energy otherwise needed for circulation. However, this also makes them more vulnerable to warming waters with even a slight temperature increase posing a significant threat to their survival.
Sea ice
The importance of sea ice in Antarctica cannot be overstated, with less than 0.5% of the entire continent free of snow or ice. It's not merely a backdrop for the unique wildlife here but an integral part of the ecosystem. It is home to microorganisms vital to the Antarctic food chain, a nursery ground for keystone species like krill, and at the very heart of global climate regulation, maintaining the transfer of heat between the atmosphere and the ocean and keeping our planet liveable. Antarctic sea ice also doubles in size every winter as the ocean around it freezes but the extent of this freezing lessens year after year as our oceans warm.
One would think that being so far from permanent human settlement would mean Antarctica was free from the environmental pressures of the modern world. Alas, it is not.
As temperatures rise and sea ice diminishes, the delicate balance of Antarctica's ecosystems is being disrupted, forcing many animals to adapt or escape northward. In their world, where ice reigns supreme, the wildlife has thrived against all odds, but they are now facing unprecedented challenges. And despite decades of research, we still don't fully understand how these shifts will ripple through the entire ecosystem.
As we strive to protect this unique and fragile wilderness, it is crucial that we deepen our understanding of its inhabitants before they are lost forever. For an even more in-depth look at Antarctica's wildlife, watch the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust's latest webinar here.
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Amie 🐋
Absolutely wonderful!
Oooo critters! I love biology, it's always a tiny bit crazier than you would've thought