Antarctica harbors one of the most extreme yet abundant ecosystems on Earth, supporting vast
populations of penguins, seals, whales, and fish that flourish in its frigid waters. These and dozens
of other species are sustained by Antarctic krill, small, shrimp-like animals that swim in dense
swarms that can extend over many kilometers. Krill are the basis of Antarctica's food web.
Without them, this continent and the oceans around it would be a virtual wasteland.
Although covered in ice most of the year and inhabited by few humans, the Antarctic has not
escaped exploitation. In the nineteenth century, hunters nearly exterminated the region's seals.
In the early twentieth century, tens of thousands of whales were slaughtered. Most recently, some
stocks of Patagoniam toothfish (popularly known as Chilean Sea Bass) have been fished almost
to extinction.
Antarctic krill may be over-exploited next....
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