How is the ecosystem around the Antarctic Peninsula changing?
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 7 June 2018
In Antarctic autumn 2018, scientists aboard Polarstern found krill and salps thriving in unusually warm, ice-free waters with high phytoplankton. Their research highlights changing species dynamics and carbon cycles as climate change alters polar ecosystems.
Keywords: carbon cycle, Southern Ocean, Bettina Meyer, Volker Strass, topAWI, ocean warming, zooplankton
Beavers are changing the face of the Arctic
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 16 July 2018
Beavers are moving into the Arctic due to climate change, creating wetlands that may benefit biodiversity but also accelerate permafrost thaw and greenhouse gas release. Researchers are tracking this shift via satellite and studying its ecosystem impact.
Keywords: permafrost, wetlands, Alaska, ecosystem engineers, Ingmar Nitze, Alfred Wegener Institute, biodiversity
Kidnapping in the Antarctic animal world?
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 10 September 2018
In the Southern Ocean, some amphipods “kidnap” pteropods and carry them piggyback to gain protection from predators, exploiting the pteropods’ chemical defenses. The pteropods, however, starve while captive, making the relationship one-sided and parasitic.
Keywords: pteropods, Southern Ocean, predator-prey, chemical deterrents, Hyperiella antarctica, Clione limacina, Spongiobranchaea australis
