Antarctica

[phkrause]

A record catch of krill near Antarctica could trigger an unprecedented end to fishing season

MIAMI (AP) — Trawling near Antarctica for krill — a crustacean central to the diet of whales and a critical buffer to global warming — has surged to a record and is fast approaching a never before reached seasonal catch limit that would trigger the unprecedented early closure of the remote fishery, The Associated Press has learned.

https://apnews.com/article/antarctica-krill-whales-global-warming-fishing-boom-bd7708913cd1482ae190365b04d98ede?

[phkrause]

Antarctic Time Capsule

A study published yesterday reveals a rich community of microorganisms living in the water flowing through Antarctica’s Blood Falls, suggesting the crimson waterfall may have ancient marine origins. See images.  Genetic analysis of roughly 167 water, sediment, and air samples suggests that the newly discovered microbes belong to organism groups commonly found in the ocean. They are likely descendants of a marine community that became trapped beneath the Taylor Glacier when seawater flooded a valley millions of years ago. The trapped seawater appears to have formed a hypersaline brine with a lower freezing point, allowing the microbes to survive as Antarctica grew increasingly cold. Scientists believe the microbes have remained isolated and relatively unchanged since the flood, providing a rare glimpse into life before the modern Antarctic ice sheet. Prior research found that the waterfall's color comes from iron in the brine, which rusts when it comes into contact with oxygen (w/video).