LONDON: A new scientific study suggests that the waters around the forbidding ice continent of Antarctica might, in the future, support growing amounts of biological life — but that this will happen for a reason that turns out to be pretty bad news for humans.
While melting Antarctic glaciers have been widely attributed to global warming and worrisome long-term trends, a new study suggests the nutrient-rich water is actually nourishing the ocean food chain.
The research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, finds Antarctica’s ice carries concentrations of iron that is being shuttled by melting water to open areas of the ocean called polynyas, whereby it stimulates the growth of phytoplankton, creating feeding “hot spots.” Essentially, phytoplankton forms the base of the marine food chain. Fish thrive on phytoplankton and in turn, these smaller animals support penguins, seals and whales.
“These coastal polynyas are sensitive to inputs from adjacent glaciers, and these glaciers are probably going to accelerate their melting in the future, which is certainly going to have implications for these polynyas,” said Kevin Arrigo lead author of the study in a news release. “Coastal Antarctica is likely to become a more productive place in the future,” Arrigo said.
