Contamination of a coastal ecosystem by trace metals as an indicator of climate change in Antarctica

During the investigations in the area of the Ukrainian Antarctic Station 'Academician VErnadsky' (1998-2009), an increased amount of trace metals was found in the deposits and soils of the Argenitine Islands Archipelago. It was revealed that heavy metals of different toxicity were accumulated by mass species of phytozooplankton, two species of green macroalgae (Monostroma hariotii and Cladophora repens), macrobenthos and fishes. High concentrations of cadmium and zinc in the marine environment and hydrobionts evidence natural origin of the contamination and the heavy metal washout from the mainland and islands of the Antarctic during ice melting as a result of climate warming in the area. The sharp decline in the krill (Euphausia superba) stock observed in the Atlantic Antarctic is associated with the inhibition of these crustaceans reproduction since krill eggs develop at the bottom of the polluted shallow waters. The obtained results allow to use both heavy metals contamination level of biota with short life cycles and abundance of krill eggs in the shelf waters as indicators of temporary climate changes.