Fire and Ice

Antarctica is all but forgotten by most people, but its mere presence shapes the world in which we live, controlling global climate, wind and weather patterns, ocean currents, and associated plant and animal communities. The Antarctic food web is supported entirely by algae and small shrimp-like crustaceans known as krill, while each in its own way contributes to the global carbon cycle and plays a critical role in controlling global warming. At the same time, the Antarctic continent itself as well as its often highly specialized flora and fauna is threatened by global warming, overfishing, tourism, and other human activities. In the context of the author's own travels to Antarctica in January 2007, she has also selected certain species of native fauna that she encountered and which she feels to be representative of the majesty of the Antarctic Peninsula. Those species are introduced with the hope of inspiring a commitment to the preservation of Antarctica for its own sake and the sake of the planet.