Stanford Report, April 24, 2002
Satellite images reveal massive die-off of Antarctica's marine
life
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Geophysics Professor Kevin Arrigo discusses how he and his
colleagues used satellite imagery to show how icebergs caused a
40-percent decline in phytoplankton blooms, which harmed penguin
populations in 2000 and 2001.
Video:
Antarctica video courtesy of Robert Dunbar, Earth Sciences
Satellite images courtesy of NASA and the NOAA-12 satellite, as
provided by the Antarctic Meteorological Research Center,SEC,
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Produced by Jack Hubbard and Mark Shwartz
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Antarctica's
rich marine ecosystems depend on phytoplankton --microscopic algae
that reproduce by the ton during the spring and summer.
Phytoplankton are eaten by shrimp-like krill (lower left), which in
turn are preyed upon by seals, penguins and other animals.
Photos courtesy of NOAA.
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