• The Northern Antarctic Peninsula is a marine climate hotspot of rapid changes on ecosystems and ocean dynamics.
• Introduction to the DSR II Special Volume: Oceanographic processes and biological responses around Northern Antarctic Peninsula: a 15-year contribution of the Brazilian High Latitude Oceanography Group
Northern Antarctic Peninsula: a marine climate hotspot of rapid changes on ecosystems and ocean dynamics
Abstract - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2018.05.006
The Northern Antarctic Peninsula (NAP; Fig. 1), which encompasses the Bransfield Strait, the southernmost part of the Drake Passage, the northwestern Weddell Sea and the region north of the Western Ant- arctic Peninsula (WAP) shelf, is primarily important because of the evolving changes on ecosystems and ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere dynamics related to climate changes issues. The NAP is considered one of the main gateways to the Southern Ocean and Antarctic continent, located in a transition environment from sub-polar to polar influence (see the inset map in Fig. 1). Additionally, many of the Antarctic re- search stations are located in the NAP surroundings and most of the polar vessels start their Antarctic campaigns from this part of the Southern Ocean.
1. Why does the Northern Antarctic Peninsula demand attention?
2. Advances in knowledge of the ecosystems and ocean dynamics changes in the NAP surroundings
Fig. 2. Summary of ocean, ice and ecosystems changes previously documented on the Northern Antarctic Peninsula. The red dots refer to locations of reported increase in air temperature. B&A = Bellingshausen and Amundsen seas, Cant = anthropogenic carbon, WAP = Western Antarctic Peninsula.