Argentine Scientists Watch An Ecosystem Falling Apart As Antarctic Melt Speeds Up
On King George Island in Antarctica, the thunderous sound of ice sliding off the Fourcade Glacier and crashing into the icy water bordering Argentina's Carlini research base serves as a daily reminder of a warming climate. The glacier has retreated 500 meters (1,640 feet) over 25 years, scientists working on this island just north of the Antarctica Peninsula say, affecting an entire ecosystem of algae, sea lions and penguins, as well as raising sea levels.
"This glacial retreat at Potter Cove releases a mass of fresh water that alters salinity levels and unleashes sediment ... changing the abundance and diversity of wildlife," said Rodolfo Sanchez, director of Argentina's Antarctic Institute.
The Antarctic Peninsula suffered the most severe temperature variation in the world, with average temperatures rising 2.5 degrees Celsius in 100 years, according to Sanchez, who accompanied Argentina's Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra and journalists to Carlini.
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Widespread deaths of shrimp-like krill have jeopardized the food supply for mammals and birds at a protected wildlife reserve on King George Island, known in Argentina as May 25 Island. Javier Negrete, a marine mammal specialist, said the colony of female elephant seals that normally come to the base between September and November to give birth was reduced by some 30 percent since 1995 to 320 last year. "It's not clear if the animals are disappearing or relocating," he said.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-arctic-idUSKBN1531VL
