South Georgia Island, United Kingdom Photograph by © Eco-Expeditions   Islands of the Scotia Sea in the southern Atlantic Ocean, extending as far south as the Antarctic Peninsula Tundra   3,300 square miles (8,500 square kilometers) -- about half the size of Hawaii Critical/Endangered

· Icy Islands
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Icy Islands

Most of the islands of the Scotia Sea are rugged, mountainous, and glaciated--perpetually covered in snow and ice over at least part of the islands. But the cold temperatures and snowy conditions haven’t kept biodiversity away. This ecoregion supports a number of different plant and animal communities adapted to antarctic conditions, like moss and lichen communities, penguins, and seals.

Special Features

The parts of the Scotia Seas Islands Tundra ecoregion that aren’t covered with snow or ice are covered with hardy plants that can withstand the harsh growing conditions. There are few vascular plants in the region, mainly tussock grasses. Moss, lichen, bryophyte, grass, and wet heath communities are more dominant. Offshore, kelp beds can be found supporting a variety of marine life.

	A Weddell seal might lumber around when on land, but in the water it can perform incredible feats. Weddell seals can dive almost 2,000 feet (600 m) below the surface, a distance of more than a third of a mile (over half a km)! Although the average dive lasts for 15 minutes or less, when necessary they can stay underwater for over an hour.

Wild Side

Because of the cold and harsh conditions on land, much of the wildlife of the islands depends on the resources of the sea. A variety of penguins call the islands home, including the king, emperor, gentoo, adelie, chinstrap, rockhopper, and macaroni penguins. Likewise, seals (antarctic fur, leopard, Weddell, and southern elephant) live and breed on these islands. The South Georgia pipit is an endemic bird that lives strictly on land, feeding on insects.

Cause for Concern

As on many islands, introduced species pose threats to native species. The islands of this ecoregion are threatened by introduced plants, and at least one island is experiencing degradation from the introduction of reindeer. Global warming is also a threat in the region as warm temperatures threaten to melt ice and change ecosystems.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.