Ecological Studies in the Antarctic Sea Ice Zone

Until comparatively recently, the remoteness, inaccessibility, and extreme climate have meant that the vast pack-ice zone around the Antarctic continent was one of the least-known marine ecosystems on Earth. Myths and speculations prevailed in the literature, often derived from an anthropocentric way of thinking that considered the sea-ice environment as predominantly hostile to marine life. This picture has changed drastically now as a result of a series of international efforts, the most recent of which has been the highly successful EASIZ (Ecology of the Antarctic Sea Ice Zone) programme of the Scientific Council on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Focusing, in contrast to other international programmes, on life at the seafloor, EASIZ has attempted to link processes in the three major marine subsystems (sea ice, pelagic and benthic) within the pack-ice zone. Work has been carried out from both research ships and shore-based research stations. This work included organisms ranging in size from bacteria to seals and covered topics as diverse as biodiversity, iceberg scour, pelagobenthic coupling, autecology, and ecophysiology. Consequently, we now view the sea-ice zone as a rich system with highly adapted organisms, considerable natural disturbance from ice, low resilience and of great potential importance as an indicator for climate change.