Polar Regions

Abstract

This chapter takes a look at the polar oceans and seas. Organisms living in Arctic and Antarctic waters are adapted to low temperatures, long periods in the year of poor or entirely absent light, and an ecosystem dominated by the seasonal formation, consolidation, and subsequent melt of frozen seawater. These areas are now receiving much attention due to a rapidly changing landscape and seasonal dynamics attributable to global climate change. The effects of global climate change are likely to have profound influences on these regions, especially in the Arctic. However, an understanding of their ecology, and therefore the potential threats of climate change, is still rudimentary due largely to the hostile working conditions. Like other extreme environments, the metabolic and physiological adaptations that enable life to go on are a potential source for novel biotechnological applications, and polar organisms, in particular microorganisms, are also potential proxies for life on extraterrestrial systems.