1. Now You SEA Ice, Now You Don’t
Climate Change:
Now You SEA Ice, Now You Don’t

2. Antarctic Peninsula
For many, the Antarctic Peninsula is the most beautiful part of the Antarctic, unlocked each year by the retreating ice, it is on this rocky backbone stretching north that most of the continent’s wildlife survives…

3. Antarctic Peninsula
Almost every patch of accessible bare rock is covered in a penguin colony. Even tiny crags that pierce the mountainsides are used by nesting birds.

4. Antarctic Peninsula
At the global level, strong evidence suggests that observed changes in Earth’s climate are largely due to human activities

5. Antarctic Peninsula
At the regional level, the evidence for human-dominated change is less clear.
Scientists have a particularly difficult time explaining warming trends in Antarctica.

6. Antarctic Peninsula

7. Antarctic Peninsula Temperature increase of 3o C in the last century
Shift in penguin communities
Adelie penguins are declining
600-year colonization history
Chinstrap penguins are increasing
Cause: changes in sea ice

8. Climatologists: Air temperature data set.
Source: Data compiled from the Palmer Station,
Antarctica Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) data archive. Data from the Palmer LTER archive were supported by the Office of Polar Programs,
NSF Grants OPP , OPP , and OPP‑

9. Antarctic Peninsula Adelie Penguins Pygoscelis adeliae
Chinstrap Penguins
Pygoscelis antarctica
Breed on the coast of Antarctica and surrounding islands
Named after the wife of French Explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville
Adults stand cm and weigh up to 5 kg
Found primarily on the Antarctic Peninsula and the Scotia Arc island chain
Named from the black band running across their chins
Adults stand cm tall and weigh up to 5 kg

10. Summary Essay- Individual
How has the ecosystem of the Antarctic Peninsula changed in the last 50 years?
What are the most likely explanations for these changes?
Is there sufficient evidence to support these explanations? Why or why not? What further questions are left unanswered?
Did your Specialist Group come up with any explanations that you think are not very likely (or not even possible), based on the complete story presented by your Home Group?