Antarctic Krill - Antarctica

The two primary points in describing the south pole are based on geographic and magnetic locations. The geographic pole is a fixed position based on the axis of the earth’s rotation. The magnetic pole is a shifting position defined by the earth’s magnetic field. The Antarctic Treaty of 1962 defined Antarctica as a scientific reserve.

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Euphausia superba - The Antarctic krill is the most abundant multicellular animal on earth. They inhabit the waters surrounding Antarctica and serve as a direct and indirect source of food for the larger animals feeding in the Southern Ocean. Adult krill are about 6 centimeters in length and can weigh up to two grams. They have transparent bodies coated with small red pigments spots. The large black eyes are a prominent feature. Krill feed on phytoplankton, plant material, and to a lessor degree on zooplankton, animal material.

Weddell Seal - Antarctica

The harsh weather conditions and the extreme isolation of Antarctica has been successful in warding off mass human encroachment and are also reasons leading many people to consider this continent as not having any significant life forms. The Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii, is one species finding more than enough resources in maintaining a permanent residence along the coastal waters. It can attain a length of 3 meters and weigh as much as 450 kilos. The seal is primarily a circumpolar dweller of the Antarctic continent, but has been found along the shores of the Falkland Islands, Uruguay, Chile, New Zealand, and Southern Australia. For a large mammal such as the Weddell seal to flourish, it must have a reliable food source to insure its survival. The supposed “barren” continent of Antarctica does have sufficient resources for the Weddell seal.