Weddell seal under sea ice, Antarctica, 1980s

• Main Author: Unknown
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: University of Southern California Digital Library (USC.DL) 2012
• Subjects: Weddell seal; Antarctic; Weddell; Antarc*; Antarctica; Sea ice; Weddell Seal
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25549/exbt-m81; https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/asset-management/2A3BF11KUDW1

Weddell seal under sea ice, Antarctica, 1980s.; The fragile web of life -- The frigid waters that surround Antarctica sustain most of the region's animal life since the land is too cold to support plants beyond moss, lichens, and a few hardy grasses. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, seals and whales in the area were hunted nearly to extinction. While their numbers are starting to bounce back, they face other dangers to their survival. The population of tiny shrimplike krill, which many Antarctic animals depend on for survival, has dropped precipitously in recent years due to changes in the environment.