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Climate change is affecting our whole planet. Polar ecosystems are changing much faster than other parts of the planet and we are seeing significant changes in the extent and seasonality of the sea ice. Yet, we still don’t understand how Antarctic seals, particularly those that depend on sea ice, are responding to this new environment.
Scientists from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, University of Exeter, University of California Santa Cruz, and the British Antarctic Survey are investigating the effects of climate change on the ecology of Antarctic ice seals, particularly crabeater seals. Crabeater seals prey almost exclusively on Antarctic krill, a keystone prey species for predators ranging from fish to large whales. By investigating how seals are responding to climatic changes to sea ice and changes in krill habitat distribution, we can learn about the health of the entire Antarctic ecosystem. With sea ice retreating and krill habitat changing, scientists are gathering Antarctic seal sightings to better our understanding of their habitat usage in this changing habitat.