Marine protected areas for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean
The water of Antarctica are possibly the world's most harsh yet beautiful environment. In the summer months as light reaches deeper into the icy waters of the Southern Ocean, phytoplankton and shrimp-like krill become phenomenally abundant, forming dense clouds. The foundation of the Antarctic food chain, these tiny crustaceans are feasted upon by squids, penguins, crabeater seals and baleen whales. In turn, the prey of many larger predators such as Antarctic toothfishes, leopard seals, sperm whales and killer whales depend on these small animals. Few places in the world, if any, support greater numbers of large animals.
