The Antarctic climate system varies on timescales from orbital, through millennial to sub-annual, and is closely coupled to other parts of the global climate system. We review these variations from the perspective of the geological and glaciological records and the recent historical period from which we have instrumental data (the last 50 years). We consider their consequences for the biosphere, and show how the latest numerical models project changes into the future, taking into account human actions in the form of the release of greenhouse gases and chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere. In doing so, we provide an essential Southern Hemisphere companion to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment.

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Antarctic climate change and the environment

Environmental contamination in Antarctic ecosystems.

Industrial contaminants in Antarctic biota.

Although toxic chemicals constitute a major threat for wildlife, their effects have been mainly assessed at the individual level and under laboratory conditions. Predicting population-level responses to pollutants in natural conditions is a major and ultimate task in ecological and ecotoxicological research. The present study aims to estimate the effect of mercury (Hg) levels on future apparent survival rates and breeding performances. We used a long-term data set (∼10 years) and recently developed methodological tools on two closely related Antarctic top predators, the South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicki from Adelie Land and the Brown Skua C. lonnbergi from the Kerguelen Archipelago. Adult survival rates and breeding probabilities were not affected by Hg levels, but breeding success in the following year decreased with increasing Hg levels. Although South Polar Skuas exhibited much lower Hg levels than Brown Skuas, they suffered from higher Hg-induced breeding failure. This species difference could b...

/pdf/demographic-responses-to-mercury-exposure-in-two-closely-3g68gliqxg.pdf

Demographic responses to mercury exposure in two closely related Antarctic top predators.

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01104653/document

Corticosterone, prolactin and egg neglect behavior in relation to mercury and legacy POPs in a long-lived Antarctic bird

https://bio.uib.no/te/papers/Bustnes_2007_Reproductive_performance.pdf

Reproductive performance and organochlorine pollutants in an Antarctic marine top predator: the south polar skua.

Different organochlorine compounds (OCs) were measured in the blood of breeding south polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) at Svarthamaren, Dronning Maud Land (Antarctica) and compared to those in two species of northern hemisphere gulls:  the Arctic glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) and the subarctic great black-backed gull (Larus marinus). The skuas had 8% and 29% of the ∑OC levels (45 ng/g, wet weight) of glaucous gulls (591 ng/g) and great black-backed gulls (158 ng/g), respectively. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p‘-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p‘-DDE) were very low in skuas compared to northern gulls, but the mean hexachlorobenzene (HCB) level was 1.7 times higher than in great black-backed gulls and one-third of the glaucous gull level. Mirex levels in skuas were among the highest reported in birds, the mean level being 3 and 26 times higher than those in glaucous gull and great black-backed gulls, respectively. In skuas, the mean levels of HCB, oxychlordane, p,p‘-DDE, and PCBs incre...

John A. Henden

Papers

Reproductive performance and organochlorine pollutants in an Antarctic marine top predator: the south polar skua.

Organochlorines in antarctic and arctic avian top predators: a comparison between the South Polar Skua and two species of northern hemisphere gulls.