| Like in the rest of the world, climate change impacts the Southern Ocean, but not in the same way in all regions of this ocean. Changes in sea ice cover around the Antarctic continent are one of the most visible manifestations. For example, sea ice cover has decreased significantly in the Western Antarctic Peninsula while it tends to increase slightly on the rest of the coastline of the continent. These changes in environmental conditions influence the functioning of the ecosystems of this ocean. In particular, the disappearance or persistence of sea ice in a region where it was seasonally present may prevent the appearance of summer phytoplankton blooms, thus impacting the dynamics of krill populations and their predators in the pelagic environment. The... |
