The Western Antarctic Peninsula - home to the greatest number of animals in Antarctica - is in
trouble. It is one of the most threatened marine wildernesses on earth. A multitude of threats
are combining at once, placing the area and its wildlife under increasing pressure. Here are the biggest three threats...
trouble. It is one of the most threatened marine wildernesses on earth. A multitude of threats
are combining at once, placing the area and its wildlife under increasing pressure. Here are the biggest three threats...
climate changeThe South Pole has been warming at three times the global average over the past 30 years. The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming locations on earth. The summer of 2019/2020 saw an unprecedented heatwave, with a new Antarctic maximum temperature of 20.75°C recorded on 9 February 2020.
This changing climate compounds all other threats - leading to system collapse. |
human activityTourism is increasing every year. In 2019, more than 50,000 tourists visited the Antarctica Peninsula alone, adding stress to the area and wildlife. At least 55 permanent research bases have been set up in Antarctica, with increasing infrastructure and movement. While research is crucial to the knowledge
and protection of Antarctica, these movements also add an ongoing threat and change to the region. |
INDUSTRIAL fishingAntarctic krill are the keystone prey species of the Southern Ocean
food chain and processes. However, krill are now the target of the largest commercial fishery in the Southern Ocean. Last year, commercial fisheries took nearly 400,000 tonnes of krill from the Antarctic Peninsula, largely for global fishmeal and Omega-3 markets. In addition, reductions in sea ice, which larval krill depend on, may be causing further contractions and reductions in the krill population creating a perfect storm for the collapse of the system. |