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Why are Antarctic waters rich in nutrients?

Why are Antarctic waters rich in nutrients?

What makes the Antarctic Ocean so rich with life? There are three reasons: long hours of daylight in the Antarctic summer to help algae grow, turbulent waters that keep nutrients floating in the water where phytoplankton can reach them, and the very cold water. Cold water can hold more dissolved oxygen than warm water.

Why is the Southern Ocean nutrient rich?

Because of the relatively high ratio of macro-nutrients to phytoplankton abundance, the Southern Ocean is referred to as a ‘high nutrient – low chlorophyll environment’ (abbreviated HNLC). In the world ocean it is the largest HNLC region.

What is the food chain in Antarctica?

Antarctica supports a wide range of organisms from algae to large animals. All these organisms are interconnected within a food web and rely on each other for survival. A wide range of plants and animals live in Antarctica….Decomposers.

food chain
whale
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energy

Who owns and controls Antarctica?

People from all over the world undertake research in Antarctica, but Antarctica is not owned by any one nation. Antarctica is governed internationally through the Antarctic Treaty system. The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 by 12 countries who had scientists in and around Antarctica at the time.

Where is ocean productivity highest?

Higher chlorophyll concentrations and in general higher productivity are observed on the equator, along the coasts (especially eastern margins), and in the high latitude ocean (Figure 4a and b).

Why is the Antarctic Ocean a good resource?

Apart from these, the icebergs that form in the Antarctic Ocean are a very good resource of freshwater. But the resource has not been tapped, though few proposals have been made to tow the icebergs to the more dry regions of north like Australia. The flora and fauna of the Antarctic Ocean is very amusing and diverse.

What kind of life is found in Antarctica?

But despite this, the continent is teaming with life, the majority of it in the rich oceans that surround the ice. Here, whales, seals, penguins and sea birds gorge on the rich variety of sea life, which isin turn fuelled by the nutrient rich waters.

Where is the Southern Ocean located in Antarctica?

As described further in The coast and adjacent ocean, the Southern Ocean extends from Antarctica’s coastline to the Antarctic Polar Front – a transition zone that separates the cold waters surrounding Antarctica from the relatively warmer waters of the South Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

What kind of fish live in the Antarctic Ocean?

The insectivorous South Georgia Pipit is common to South Georgia and some minor surrounding islands. Freshwater ducks live in South Georgia and the Kerguelen Islands. The variety of fish in this ocean is pretty less as compared to others. The white-blooded fish also called the Channichthyidae family are only found in the Antarctic Ocean.