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Antarctic biodiversity
Both of the Polar regions are indicators of global climate change, are extremely sensitive and have the potential to effect substantial global changes. Unlike the Arctic, Antarctica is a solid continent, surrounded by the Southern Ocean, which plays a major role in global currents and water circulation in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. Started in May 2007 with a seminar held in Arendal, Norway, Linking Tourism & Conservation (LT&C) aims to highlight Worldwide examples of the best practices in tourism which support the development and management of protected areas, for example the Antarctic, where a great number of plants and animals live under specific environmental conditions which are increasingly threatened by global warming and sea ice melt.

Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), adult and young, Antarctic Peninsular The Kelp Gull is the souther equivalent of the Northern hemisphere's Lesser Black-backed Gull, but is slightly larger. This coastal gull is omnivores like most gulls seeking all kinds of small prey. They scavenge and hav...

By Peter Prokosch

Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), Antarctic Peninsula Adélie penguins are named after the wife of the French Antarctic explorer Dumont d'Urville. They breed in very large colonies, often 20,000 - 30,000 birds, sometimes more than 100,000, all around the Antarctic continent....

By Peter Prokosch

Floating ice, Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica is the 5th largest continent of the world at 14 million square kilometres, and is covered by a permanent continental ice sheet. During winter the size of Antarctica doubles due to the formation of sea ice aro...

By Peter Prokosch

Antarctic Peninsula The area covered by Antarctic sea ice varies from year to year, as it does in the Arctic. Area covered by <a href=http://nsidc.org/seaice/characteristics/difference.html>Antarctic sea ice</a> has actually shown a small i...

By Peter Prokosch

Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica is the coldest and windiest place on Earth. It is also the driest, because it has receives about an <a href=http://www.anta.canterbury.ac.nz/resources/continent.html#weather>average of 50mm of precipitation</...

By Peter Prokosch

Weddell Seal (Leptonychotes Weddellii), Antarctic Peninsula The Weddell Seal is the <a href=http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/11696/0> world's southern-most breeding mammal</a>, and widespread in the southern hemisphere. They are found on fast ice (that is, sea ice ...

By Peter Prokosch

Weddell Seal (Leptonychotes Weddellii), Antarctic Peninsula Weddell Seals were in the past hunted for oil, food and skins but their numbers are now fairly stable. The global population is estimated at between 500,000 and one million individuals, although a <a href=http://www.iu...

By Peter Prokosch

Leopard Seal (Hydrurga Leptonyx) and Anatrctic Skua (Catharacta MacCormicki), Antarctic Peninsula The Leopard Seal is widely distributed in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters of the southern hemisphere, and its name originates from the black spots seen on the throat. It <a href=http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist...

By Peter Prokosch

Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis Papua), Antarctic Peninsula Gentoo Penguins are normally found on the shorelines of the Antarctic peninsular and on many sub-Antarctic islands. Gentoo penguins are monogamous during the breeding season, in that they stick to one partner - and some ...

By Peter Prokosch

Antarctic Peninsula Unlike the Arctic, which at its centre is an ocean, Antarctica is a landmass that is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. A permanent, massive ice sheet on Antarctica covers 98% of the continent and is containing the major ...

By Peter Prokosch

Sea ice and shelf ice, Antarctic Peninsula Unlike the Arctic, which at its centre is an ocean, Antarctica is a landmass that is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. A permanent, massive ice sheet on Antarctica covers 98% of the continent and is containing the major ...

By Peter Prokosch

Young Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina), Antarctic Peninsular The largest of the Antarctic seals, the Elephant Seal is recognised by the trunk-like nose and impressive size - reaching up to 5.8 metres and weighing a maximum of 3700 kg. It spends most of its time at sea, and is far ...

By Peter Prokosch

Adelie Penguin, Antarctic Peninsula Adélie penguins are named after the wife of the French Antarctic explorer Dumont d'Urville. They breed in very large colonies, often 20,000 - 30,000 birds, sometimes more than 100,000, all around the Antarctic continent....

By Peter Prokosch

Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes Giganteus), Antarctic Peninsula There are several species of Petrel in the Antarctic and they are generally known for having an excellent sense of smell, a rare quality in birds. The Giant Petrel is strong and can kill a penguin for food but they also ...

By Peter Prokosch

Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina), Antarctic Peninsula The largest of the Antarctic seals, the Elephant Seal is recognised by the trunk-like nose and impressive size - reaching up to 5.8 metres and weighing a maximum of 3700 kg. It spends most of its time at sea, and is far ...

By Peter Prokosch

Shelf-ice piece, Antarctic Peninsula An ice shelf is a thick platform of ice that forms at the grounding line of a glacier, where the glacier meets the coastline. Most freshwater on earth is bound in the huge ice shield covering almost entire Antarctica and...

By Peter Prokosch

Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes Chrysocome Moselii), Antarctic Peninsula The Rockhopper Penguin is aptly named on account of it's unique jumping movements between rocks. There is a major colony in the Falkland islands and large populations on a numer of offshore islands in southern Chile and ...

By Peter Prokosch

Old whale bone providing fertile conditions for vascular plants, Antarctic Peninsula Nutrients which seep out of whale bones fertilise plants, leading to an accumulation of organic matter in the soil. Whale bone is also known as Baleen and it was <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baleen>used in a vari...

By Peter Prokosch

Imperial Shag (Phalacrocorax Atriceps), Antarctic Peninsula The Imperial Shag, otherwise known as the Imperial Cormorant, hunts in 'rafts', or large groups of hundreds which dive down together in "pursuit-diving" of fish, at up to 25 metres depth. Given that the Imperial Shag...

By Peter Prokosch

Gentoo Penguins, Antarctic Peninsula The Gentoo Penguin is distinguishable by the bright red beak and has the largest distribution of any penguin. They feed on cod, crustaceans and squid and often hunt in packs. The Gentoo Penguin is classed as near-threate...

By Peter Prokosch

Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis Papua), Antarctic Peninsula Gentoo Penguins lay a couple of eggs but if food is in short supply once the eggs have hatched, one chick is often sacrificed in order to feed the stronger of the two.

By Peter Prokosch

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