News from the polar regions in February included news of the many effects of climate change in the Arctic, surprising discoveries of fossils and marine species, and how Antarctica’s environment aided NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander project. Missed these stories the first time? Read on!

Climate change continues to affect the Arctic region, leading to melting glaciers, thawing permafrost in Sweden, greatly increased erosion along a portion of Alaska’s coast, and declining sea ice. These changes are predicted to have wide-reaching effects including the loss of coastal towns and cultural relics, increased emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane) from thawing permafrost, and possible impacts on water sources and sea level from glacial melt.

An increasingly ice-free Arctic Ocean will lead to increased commercial traffic as well as increased extreme weather events – meaning that the potential for accidents and environmental disasters will rise. A report released by the University of New Hampshire and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that the existing infrastructure for responding to maritime accidents in the Arctic is limited and that more needs to be done to enhance emergency response capability, including multinational plans, logistical support capabilities, updated weather data and navigational charts, improved technologies for oil spill response in cold water, and designated ports for housing damaged vessels.

A recent decision by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council has banned commercial fishing in U.S. Arctic waters until scientists have a better understanding of these vulnerable ecosystems and a fisheries management plan is developed. Though this ban is limited to a small proportion of Arctic waters, the council urges other Arctic nations to follow the United States’ lead.

Researchers have discovered a surprising fossil in the Canadian Arctic: a tropical, freshwater Asian turtle. They hypothesize that the turtles and other animals migrated directly across the Arctic Ocean approximately 90 million years ago during an extremely warm, ice-free period.

A combination of historical documents, ethnographic research, GPS, GIS, and Google Earth allowed a researcher to demonstrate the transfer of complex and intricate knowledge of Inuit trails across the Canadian Arctic. Although these trails are not permanent features (they disappear when sled tracks are covered with snow and when the snow and ice melts each spring), they are accurately transmitted from generation to generation via oral tradition. These trails thus represent a complex social network connecting communities, fishing lakes, and hunting grounds.

A new study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that effects of climate change (changes in surface temperatures, rainfall, and sea level) are largely irreversible for over 1,000 years after greenhouse gas emissions are completely stopped. This suggests that current choices about carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will affect the planet well into the future. Another recent study suggests that climate change may cause variations in the circulation of air in the tropical and southern mid-latitudes – a change that may prevent the recovery of ozone in these areas. This would increase the risk of skin cancer for people living in these areas.

In Antarctica, researchers fear that climate change will continue to lead to break up of ice shelves and eventually the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This would greatly impact sea level rise by an average of 16 to 17 feet and more along the coastline of North America and nations in the Southern Indian Ocean. Researchers suggest that much of Southern Florida would be underwater, and that sea level might rise almost 21 feet in places like Washington, D.C. There is much debate about how much of the ice sheet would actually disappear – and thus also about the projected increase in sea levels.

Several stories in February concerned the Southern Ocean and its surprising diversity of life. Researchers for Census of Marine Life have discovered and are documenting 7,500 marine animals in the Antarctic and 5,500 in the Arctic. They have made a surprising discovery that at least 253 species live in both the Arctic and Antarctic, including whales, birds, worms, crustaceans, and snail-like pteropods. Researchers are conducting DNA analysis to confirm that the species are indeed identical, and are questioning their origin and how they wound up at both ends of the Earth, separated by a more than 13,000 km. However, climate change has the potential to fundamentally alter the rich ecosystems of the Southern Ocean. As water temperatures increase, predatory species such as shell-cracking crabs, fish, sharks, and rays will be able to colonize the previously inhospitable waters. Increasing ship traffic is also introducing exotic and invasive species through ballast water.

Researchers studying an ecosystem north of Livingston Island, Antarctica found that even after storms affected the abundance of krill, feeding behaviors and patterns of chinstrap penguins and fur seals did not change in response. Cape petrels, flying seabirds that also eat krill, did alter their behaviors in response to the movement of krill by waves and wind. The researchers theorize that since penguins and fur seals can store more energy and forage for longer periods of time than petrels, they were less affected by the short-lived changes caused by the storm.

On land, Antarctic researchers are studying a nematode that withstands its cold climate by manufacturing anti-freeze proteins. These proteins prevent freezing water crystals from piercing cell walls. The worm also has the ability to dry itself out and enter a dormant state when ground water dries up. The researchers hope to use the knowledge gained from this worm’s response to changing climatic conditions to extend their findings to more complex ecosystems, such as farm fields in the United States. Similar anti-freeze genes in other Antarctic organisms are being used to engineer frost-resistant crops.

Finally, scientists used the similar conditions of Antarctica’s Dry Valleys to conduct research that aided in NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander project. Findings from the studies are helping the Phoenix team interpret results from the spacecraft’s mission. Antarctica’s permafrost and cold, dry, and windy environment more closely simulates Mars’ environment than any other place on Earth.

Know of another significant story from February that you’d like share? Reactions to one of the stories discussed here?  Post a comment-we’d love to hear from you!