A new study reveals how ocean biology and marine pollution can end up on Antarctica’s shoreline.
Antarctica’s unique ecosystems could be threatened by the arrival of non-native marine species and marine pollution from Southern Hemisphere landmasses, new oceanographic modelling shows.
In a study published today in Global Change Biology, scientists from UNSW Sydney, ANU, University of Otago and the University of South Florida suggest that floating objects can reach Antarctic waters from more sources than previously thought.
“An increasing abundance of plastics and other human made debris in the oceans means there are potentially more opportunities for biota to reach Antarctica,” says lead author Dr Hannah Dawson, who completed the study as part of her PhD at UNSW, and is now based at the University of Tasmania. READ FULL ARTICLE