Rafts of garbage, kelp and other debris could transport alien invaders to a warming Antarctica – reports The Conversation website
” The remote icy wilderness at the bottom of the world is exposed to pollution and foreign organisms on floating ocean debris.
Recognising the threat to Antarctica’s remote coastline and unique marine ecosystems, we wanted to find out where this material is coming from. It turns out it’s travelling further than you might think.
Using ocean modelling techniques, we show floating objects such as kelp, plastic and other debris can drift to Antarctica from South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Our new research shows Antarctica’s coastlines more connected to land in the Southern Hemisphere than previously thought. Cold and icy conditions may have prevented foreign organisms from colonising Antarctic waters to date. But these conditions are changing rapidly.”
Antarctica’s unique environment
Antarctica’s coastal waters are extremely cold and mostly covered by sea ice. Yet these waters are also home to a surprisingly wide range of unique species found nowhere else on Earth.
In recent years, some non-native species have been found in Antarctic waters. They can arrive on ships, either in ballast water or encrusted onto ship hulls, or on drifting ocean debris.
Some of these species, including kelp, are known to drift from islands just north of the Antarctic continent. But it’s been unclear whether species can reach Antarctica from further afield, until now.
