‘A Healthy and Functioning Antarctic’
Every creature has a role to play in a given ecosystem. Whales, seals, and penguins keep the Antarctic, well, the Antarctic. Even penguin poop is a vital resource for the region. (No, seriously.) But it’s the little critters at the base of the food web that make all this life possible in the first place.
“It is important to let people know that a healthy and functioning Antarctica includes the amphipods and other invertebrates playing their important roles in the ecosystem,” Griffiths said. “Understanding these roles and how they might change is more important than ever in the face of climate change in Antarctica, where these cold-water specialists are facing rising temperatures and shrinking sea ice.”
