Green Antarctica

 

Exploring Antarctica 

#Green Antarctica

Just listening to the word Antarctica, the first and foremost picture that strikes in our mind is of a place which is covered with white sheets of glaciers, giant icebergs and chunks of white snow wrapped stretch of land with the cutest Penguins roaming all around.

But, with a great grief and disappointment, “SJ Ideas” would like to convey a message to all our beloved readers that the picture is no more the same in reality. So, have patience and go through the blog to know in details about “Green Antarctica”

Land Antarctica

Antarctica is the Southernmost Continent of Earth situated at the South Pole of the Globe in the Antarctic Region. Antarctica is the coldest, driest, windiest and the fifth largest continent with nearly twice the size of Australia. About 98% of the landmass is covered with ice and it is a Polar Desert as there has been no precipitation for almost 2million years. The whole continent is divided into two regions – East & West Antarctica. East Antarctica covers around two- thirds of the total area with an approximately 2km thickness ice. While West Antarctica comprises of a series of frozen islands forming an extension of Andes Mountains.

Climate

Antarctica has the world record of lowest temperature ranging from -89.2°C near inland to -60°C at sea level which was measured at Vostok Station, Russia on July 21, 1983. Temperatures usually vary from place to place in the Antarctica Continent. The mean temperature during coldest Months ranges from -20 to -30°C on the Coast & -40 to -70°C in the interior whereas in mid-summer the temp is approximately 15°C in the Antarctic Peninsula, mean temp of 0°C on the coast & -20 to -30°C in the interior.

Life Forms

Only a few life forms could adapt & survive in the extreme cold climate, high speed winds and aridity all throughout the year.

Plant Life

Out of total 800 species of plants reported in Antarctica, 350 are lichens. These Lichens are capable to withstand extreme weather conditions & high stress periods by remaining in dormant forms. Beside these, Mosses & Liverworts account for 100 species. Certain Blue Green Algae, Diatoms & Phytoplankton  are also found near the coast.

Certain fungi and bacteria also survive in the arid climate of Antarctica.

Animal Life

The native land fauna mostly comprises of Invertebrates that includes heliozoans, rotifers, tardigrades, nematodes ,ciliate protozoa & arthropods.

 

Out of the total 45 species of Birds found in the South of Antarctic convergence, only 3 breeds – Emperor Penguin, Antarctic Petrel & South Polar Skuas are exclusively found on the continent and along costal lines . Penguins are the sole life form that symbolically represent the Icy Antarctica.

The sea and the coastal areas inhabit a variety of Zooplanktons, Crustacea, Mollusc, Whales, Seals, Dolphins.

All these life forms comprise of the Antarctica’s vivid ecosystem & enrich the biodiversity.

Green Antarctica

Here the word ‘green’ symbolizes mainly widespread and rapid Algal growth and Mosses that are covering up the White & Icy Antarctic Peninsula mainly near the islands on western coast.

The Main Etiology behind Green Antarctica

With global climatic changes, green house effects and ultimately Global Warming paves the way to changing ecosystem, habitat destruction, loss of nature’s equilibrium & Biodiversity.

The rising temp is mainly responsible for melting of ice at a much faster rate than usual and warmer temperature of water above melting point is highly suitable and perfect for the growth of algae and mosses.

On 9^th Feb, 2020, Brazilian Scientists have recorded 20.75 °C temp which is the highest and maximum temp reported for the first time at Seymour’s Island near the Antarctic Peninsula’s northern tip. Just before 3 days to this, Argentina’s Research Station located at Peninsula itself recorded 18.30°C of the mainland.

This is really an alarming scenario and a matter of great concern for all of us.

Recent Scientific Study Reports

A team of researchers at the University of Cambridge & the British Antarctic Survey have created the first large scale map of the green algae using  European Space Agency’s Sentinel 2 Satellite data, remote sensing& fieldwork observations during the year 2017- 2019. These Scientists believe that in near future these algal blooms are going to expand their range because of the global heating conditions.

Matt Davey, one of the research Scientist of Cambridge University who was leading this survey reported that these algae have formed close relationship with certain groups of fungi and bacteria . Thus, togetherly they are capable to generate new habitats and form a new ecosystem.

According to the reports published in the Journal Nature Communications, green algae although microscopic but when they are growing at a large scale appears as green patches blanketing the crystal white snow as captured from the space.

The 6 years of exhaustive and elaborate study and detailed survey by the joint effort of all the research scientists identified 1679 separate blooms of green snow algae. They found the largest bloom covering an area of approximately 1,45,000 m2 (almost 36 acre) on Robert Island on the South Shetland Islands

The total area covered by the Green Snow algae was 1.9 km2 as compared to total vegetation area in the peninsula that accounts for 8.5km2.

Over 60% of Algal Blooms were found near Penguin colonies and Bird’s resting sites as their excrement worked as good fertilizers for algal growth.

Another interesting fact is the huge carbon sink generated due to this algal blooms  as algae utilizes the atmospheric CO2 during the process of photosynthesis. The researchers estimated that those observed algae removed 479tons of atmospheric CO2 per year. This data equates to an average of 8,75,000 car journeys in UK or  486 Flights between London & New York.

In another Study, researchers told that they isolated moss bank cores dating back to 150 years from three sites across the Peninsula and since 1950 the moss growth and their accumulation have increased markedly due to continuous rise in global temperature and climatic changes.

Impact

With Algal bloom slowly & slowly over years, there will be habitat change and a day will come in future when we will witness a complete transformation of Antarctica’s landforms where there will be no more Snow capped Antarctica instead a green plain land.

Those green algae and certain red and orange pigments producing algae stain the snow and will darken the land over years.

The temp of the continent’s land is increasing due to Global warming and thus the ice are melting down, huge glaciers are splitting up into small pieces, all of these contribute to increase in the water level of the ocean and sea. This may give rise to floods in other places and lead to huge destruction and devastations.

There is a potential threat to the life of terrestrial as well as aquatic flora & fauna. Many valuable species of Antarctica continent may get endanger or some may become extinct in near future. This will hamper the rich biodiversity of our globe.

The food chains & food webs will be disturbed and this may lead to a serious impact on Nature.

 Conclusion

There will be a complete reversal of the existing Ecosystem at Antarctica with the increasing green algae growth and as we all know that everything in nature is so much interconnected & interwoven that a little change with its cumulative effect is going to bring a huge outburst in future, about which we are completely unaware and we literally don’t have any idea how Nature is going to show it’s power.

So, it’s high time to spread awareness among people across the Globe so that we human beings can check our activities which are contributing to the burning issue of Global Warming.

Raise the Slogan

          “Stop Global Warming

             &

 Save Antarctica from turning Green”

Antarctica’s rich biodiversity with a mesmerizing & eye catching  varieties of Whales, Dolphins, Seals, Penguins and colourful and vibrant  migratory birds are really wonders of our Mother Earth. So, let us all take a pledge to protect them as far as possible by our small initial steps and prevent man- made Global Warming.

Antarctica is so beautiful in ‘White’, Penguins love to play in Snow & Dolphins love to dive in icy cool water. So, let them enjoy their habitat without making it ‘Green’.

 Thanks for reading with all your patience.😊😊😊

Take Care & Stay Safe.

Love from “SJ Ideas”

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