Antarctic Islands’ Diversity Greater Than in Galapagos, Study Shows

An extensive survey of marine and terrestrial life in the South Orkney Islands, off the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, has catalogued 1,224 species in 50 biological classes, greater than the biodiversity in the Galapagos Islands. The study, conducted by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Hamburg, used nets to sample life nearly a mile under the Southern Ocean and discovered five new marine species, including a new form of louse and a moss-covered animal. Land-breeding species of the South Orkneys, such as chinstrap penguins and fur seals, have been well documented, but the recent survey showed the great diversity of life in these frigid waters. The scientists said that the study, published in the Journal of Biogeography, provides a baseline of species diversity as the region undergoes rapid warming and organisms begin to shift their ranges. The northern Antarctic Peninsula is warming faster than anywhere on earth, with mid-winter temperatures increasing in some places by 9° F over the past 60 years.