Demény István: Dél-Amerika és az Antarktisz-félsziget (2008) / 1060-2008

The first child born in the southern polar region was > Two researchers studying jacobsen, born in Grytviken on 8 October 1913, and h plankton through microscopes. ..... . ^ , ^ • , British Magistrate of South Georgia. She was a daugh manager of the whaling station, and of Klara Ölette Ja in 1904 to become the manager of Grytviken, serving from 1914 to 1921; two of his childre Emilio Marcos Palma was the first person born on the Antarctic mainland, at Base Esperan; along with seven other families by the Argentinean government to determine if family life \ Juan Pablo Camacho was born at the Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva Base, becoming the Several bases are now home to families with children attending schools at the station.'

2

5' Flora and fauna See also: Antarctica ecozone Field work. Flora The climate of Antarctica does not allow extensive vegetation. A combination of freezing temperatures, poor soil quality, lack of moisture, and lack of sunlight inhibit the flourishing of plants. As a result, plant life is limited to mostly mosses and liverworts. The autotrophic community is made up of mostly protists. The flora of the continent largely consists of lichens, bryophytes, algae, and fungi. Growth generally occurs in the summer, and only for a few weeks at most. There are more than 200 species of lichens and approximately 50 species of bryophytes, such as mosses. Seven hundred species of algae exist, most of which are phytoplankton. Multicolored snow algae and diatoms are especially abundant in the coastal regions during the summer. There are two species of flowering plants found in the Antarctic Peninsula: Deschampsia antarctica (Antarctic hair grass) and Colobanthus quitensis (Antarctic pearl wort).'

2

6! More than 200 species of lichens are known in Antarctica. Fauna Land fauna is nearly completely invertebrate. Invertebrate life includes microscopic mites, lice, nematodes, tardigrades, rotifers, and springtails. The midge, just 12 mm in size, is the largest land animal in Antarctica. The Snow Petrel is one of only three birds that breed exclusively in Antarctica and have been seen at the South Pole. A variety of marine animals exist and rely, directly or indirectly, on the phytoplankton. Antarctic sea life includes penguins, blue whales, and fur seals. The Emperor penguin is the only penguin that breeds during the winter in Antarctica, while the Adélie Penguin breeds farther south than any other penguin. The Rockhopper penguin has distinctive feathers around the eyes, giving the appearance of elaborate eyelashes. King penguins, Chinstrap penguins, and Gentoo Penguins also breed in the Antarctic. The Antarctic fur seal was very heavily hunted in the 18th and 19th centuries for its pelt by sealers from the United States and the United Kingdom. The Weddell Seal, a "true seal", is named after Sir James Weddell, commander of British sealing expeditions in the Weddell Sea. Antarctic krill, which congregates in large schools, is the keystone species of the ecosystem of the Southern Ocean, and is an important food organism for whales, seals, leopard seals, fur seals, squid, icefish, penguins, albatrosses and many other birds.'

2

7J The passing of the Antarctic Conservation Act brought several restrictions to the continent. The introduction of alien plants or animals can bring a criminal penalty, as can the extraction of any E™

P1sea ^tarrtL'a R°

S

S indigenous species. The overfishing of krill, which plays a large role in the Antarctic ecosystem, led officials to enact regulations on fishing. The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), a treaty that came into force in 1980, requires that regulations managing all Southern Ocean fisheries consider potential effects on the entire Antarctic ecosystem.'

2

3' Despite these new acts, unregulated and illegal