Understanding the Antarctic food web

Microbes near the surface of the Southern Ocean sustain the polar food chain — impacting the nutrient flow from the surface to the depths where other microbial communities thrive in the dark.

National Geographic Explorer Allison Fong sampled sea ice in the Weddell Sea to understand how changes in the sea ice may affect the microorganisms that feed the Southern Ocean’s wildlife populations. This research better informs our understanding of how microbe communities absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and feed other organisms in Antarctic ecosystems.

Research by fellow Explorer Catherine Ribeiro assesses the impact of warming temperatures and ocean acidification on the activity of microbes in the Southern Ocean. Her team is investigating how icescapes shape microscopic diversity to support a healthy ecosystem. The findings will help us understand how different microbes and their activities influence the amount of carbon that reaches and can be sequestered in deeper layers of the ocean.

This work was conducted aboard the R/V Falkor (too) in collaboration with Schmidt Ocean Institute as part of the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions.

Learn more at NationalGeographic.org.