Fish W. Antifreeze Blood But No Red Blood Cells; Sea Pigs, Stars Among Bounty Of Antarctic Ocean

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Icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus, are well adapted to life in cold water with anti-freeze, but no red blood cells, in their blood. (Photos by Peter Bucktrout courtesy British Antarctic Survey)


Sea pig, also called sea cucumber or Holothuroid, was one of the most abundant animal species sampled.

CAMBRIDGE, UK, December 22, 2009 (ENS) - Sea pigs, giant sea spiders, ice fish, octopus, rare rays and basket stars that live in the seas of Antarctica's continental shelf are revealed in a series of new photographs released today by the British Antarctic Survey.

A research team from across Europe, the United States, Australia and South Africa onboard the BAS Royal Research Ship James Clark Ross sampled and photographed marine creatures from the Bellingshausen Sea, West Antarctica – one of the fastest warming seas in the world. Research cruise leader Dr. David Barnes of British Antarctic Survey said, "Few people realize just how rich in biodiversity the Southern Ocean is – even a single trawl can reveal a fascinating array of weird and wonderful creatures as would be seen on a coral reef."

"These animals are potentially very good indicators of environmental change as many occur in the shallows, which are changing fast, but also in deeper water which will warm much less quickly," said Dr. Barnes. "We can now begin to get a better understanding of how the ecosystem will adapt to change."

"Our research on species living in the waters surrounding the BAS Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula shows that some species are incredibly sensitive to temperature changes," he said. Marine algae distribution and sea ice retreat are two of the strongest impacts of climate change measured in the region to date.

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http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2009/2009-12-22-02.asp