Antarctica

Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered and colonized by people, and this has resulted in generally sparse meteorological, oceanographic and biological data for the Antarctic and much of the Southern Ocean. Within the Antarctic region, here defined to include all regions south of the Antarctic Polar Front, much of the land-based biological research occurs at or near international scientific stations, leading to some regions, such as the Amundsen Sea, being poorly researched. In the last decade, evidence has emerged of significant differences, but also some similarities, in species’ responses to changing environmental conditions, including climate change. However, most of the studies have been confined to larger organisms, such as seabirds and marine mammals, with few long-term studies on the phenology of plants, invertebrates and other species. This highlights the need for greater spatial and species coverage in the southern regions of the globe to assess and quantify regional and ecosystem-scale processes and patterns.