Some metals, as iron, zinc, manganese and cobalt, that are present in extreme low concentrations in the oceans, possess important biological functions, acting like vitamins in the Human body. These…
When sea ice forms, eliminates and concentrates particles from the water column, staying retained in the ice until it melts. Small plastics fragments (<5mm of diamenter), known as “microplastics” are…
Permafrost is the soil (including rock, organic matter and water in the soil) that remains at temperatures below 0ºC for periods over 2 years. When it melts, it can cause…
Global warming, one of the most troubling climate change has been associated with several changes in physiology and species distribution. In the Arctic, the increase of the average annual temperature…
Usually when a whale dies it sinks into the ocean - an event called whale-fall. When it reaches the deep ocean - a very unproductive area - it provides an ephemeral habitat [1]…
Antarctica is one of the most extreme terrestrial environments both at the physical and chemical levels. However, their soils have a great diversity, some richer in nutrients, usually located at…
A study published in 2013 has focused on the comparison of the sensitivity of the polar oceans to anthropogenic acidification [1]. This designation - acidification - constitutes a pH decreasing,…
Antarctica is an isolated continent but due to the global atmospheric circulation, it keeps a record of the evolution of the terrestrial paleoclimate [1] written in its ice layers. Contaminants…