More than 200 scientists from 19 countries want to tell us the Southern Ocean is in trouble

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While the Southern Ocean around Antarctica has been warming for decades, the annual extent of winter sea ice seemed relatively stable – compared to the Arctic.

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Provider:

The Conversation

URL:

https://theconversation.com/more-than-200-scientists-from-19-countries-want-to-tell-us-the-southern-ocean-is-in-trouble-215529

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

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Geotags:

EUROPEAN UNION

Summary

Key Points:

While the Southern Ocean around Antarctica has been warming for decades, the annual extent of winter sea ice seemed relatively stable – compared to the Arctic.
In 2018 the international scientific community agreed to produce the first marine ecosystem assessment for the Southern Ocean.
So the resulting “summary for policymakers” being released today is like an IPCC report for the Southern Ocean.

Why should we care about sea ice?

Sea ice is to life in the Southern Ocean as soil is to a forest.
Less sea ice is a danger to all wildlife – from krill to emperor penguins and whales.
The sea ice zone provides essential food and safe-keeping to young Antarctic krill and small fish, and seeds the expansive growth of phytoplankton in spring, nourishing the entire food web.

An open and collaborative process

We sought input from a wide range of people across the entire Southern Ocean science community.
We sought to answer questions about the state of the whole Southern Ocean system - with an eye on the past, present and future.
We deliberately modelled the multi-disciplinary assessment process on a working group of the IPCC to distill the science into an easy-to-read and concise narrative for politicians and the general public alike.

So what’s in the report?

These organisms, from microscopic plants to whales, face a changing and challenging future.
Important foundation species such as Antarctic krill are likely to decline with consequences for the whole ecosystem.
The assessment stresses climate change is the most significant driver of species and ecosystem change in the Southern Ocean and coastal Antarctica.

What’s next?

The commission is the international body responsible for the conservation of marine ecosystems in the Southern Ocean, with membership of 26 nations and the European Union.
The Southern Ocean is a crucial life-support system, not just for Antarctica but for the entire planet.
Now we’re up and running, we can continue to support evidence-based conservation of Southern Ocean ecosystems into the future.