Threats to Antarctica Flashcards
Describe the Southern Ocean Food chain.
The Southern Ocean Food chain is very short and efficient but it is also diverse in marine life with many fish, krill, penguins, seals and
whales.
What are the 5 major threats to Antarctica?
- Climate change
- Fishing and whaling
- Mineral/resource exploitation
- Tourism
- Scientific research
How does Whaling pose a major threat to the Antarctic food chain?
Whaling poses a threat to the food chain since whale populations are at reduced levels and are very slow breeders. As a consequence, the whales take a long time to reproduce so the ecosystem remains damaged for the long term.
Why is whaling in Antarctica so popular?
Whales are hunted for things such as their fur, meat and blubber, and products such as soap, margarine and oils are also derived from whale oil.
How does Fishing pose a major threat to Antarctica?
Krill are a primary food source for many Antarctic species and their population decline could lead to the potential extinction of other species higher up within the food chain.
Why is fishing in Antarctica so popular?
- High demand for krill oil as a health food supplement in East Asia
Why is there currently no Mining in Antarctica?
- Mining is currently banned by the Antarctic Treaty and the Environmental Protocol.
- Mining is very difficult in Antarctica due to its location and ice covering, therefore the mineral deposits are not economically viable to mine.
How does Mineral/resource exploitation pose a major threat to Antarctica?
- Oil exploitation disrupts habitats through the construction of infrastructure (e.g pipelines)
- Oil spills cause marine pollution since the fragile ecosystem cannot remove the oil quickly
- Metal and mineral exploitation damages the environment through mining and quarrying
Why is there potential that Mining in Antarctica may begin in the future?
Due to the potential of a fossil fuel crisis, the demand for more resources may lead to exploitation becoming more viable.
How does Tourism pose a major threat to Antarctica?
- Antarctic soils and vegetation are very susceptible to damage from trampling
- Antarctic travel has a high carbon footprint
- Marine pollution due to fuel and oil leaks and illegal dumping of sewage and shipboard waste. Any waste will stay in the nutrient cycle for a long time as decomposition is slow in Antarctica
How many tourists visited Antarctica between 2015 and 2016?
Approximately 38,500 visitors travelled to Antarctica in 2015-2016.
What are the three main types of tourism in Antarctica?
- Camping
- Ship - board
- Over flights
Which part of Antarctica do most tourists visit?
75% of visitors travel by ships to the Peninsula since this region is generally an ice - free coastal region from November to March.
How are is tourism managed/ how are the impacts mitigated?
- Visits from ship or yacht based tourism shore last 1-3 hours with a maximum of 100 visiting passengers
- Between 1-3 landings per day using inflatable crafts or helicopters
How does Ocean acidification pose a major threat to Antarctica?
- Ocean acidification is where carbon dioxide reacts with water, releasing hydrogen ions which compete with shells for carbonate (the molecules which shells are composed of). This inhibits the growth of shells, making all creatures in the ecosystem smaller. As a consequence, species in the food chain are more likely to suffer from malnutrition.
- Hydrogen ions make the ocean more acidic which may cause shells and coral reefs to dissolve, these support 1 in 4 Antarctic species
