Ship traffic connects Antarctica’s fragile coasts to worldwide ecosystems
Hosted by: Canadian Council on Invasive Species
Presented by: Arlie H. McCarthy, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge
Come on a journey to Antarctica! This isolated and long-considered pristine wilderness is becoming increasingly exposed to the negative effects of ship-borne human activity, and especially the introduction of invasive species. Join the Polar Alien Hunters and learn how ship activity connects Antarctica to the world and how to stop invasive species becoming a problem. Antarctica’s Southern Ocean is the most isolated marine environment on Earth. It supports unique flora and fauna and represents the only global marine region without any known biological invasions, but climate change is removing physiological barriers and increasing ship activities are bringing hitchhiking critters. The successful conservation of iconic Antarctic species and environments relies on addressing both climate change and direct, localized human impact.
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