IMDB: National Geographic documentary, which touches on the subject of global warming and its impact on the fauna in the frozen wilderness of Antarctica. One creature has perfected the art of survival – the emperor penguin. Eons of evolution have built an animal superbly adapted to the howling gales and sub-zero temperatures, but the emperor may have finally met its match.

Parts of Antarctica are warming, giving birth to huge icebergs, and the consequences could be catastrophic for this majestic animal. In a place where all life is touched by the ice, it is a dramatic shift. Explore this region from its inhabitant’s perspective, using state-of-the-art technology. By better understanding these amazing animals, researchers can help prepare for their future, as the balance of life in the Antarctic continues to change.

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The world’s largest and oldest iceberg A23a has finally come to a standstill as it appears to have run aground near the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia.  

BAS: Warmer waters, combined with the action of waves and tides, will lead the huge section of ice to break up into smaller icebergs and eventually melt. Dr Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer at British Antarctic Survey, who co-leads the OCEAN:ICE project that aims to understand how the ice sheet affects the ocean, says:

“If the iceberg stays grounded, we don’t expect it to significantly affect the local wildlife of South Georgia. In the last few decades, the many icebergs that end up taking this route through the Southern Ocean soon break up, disperse and melt. Commercial fisheries have been disrupted in the past however, and as the berg breaks into smaller pieces, this might make fishing operations in the area both more difficult and potentially hazardous.

“It will be interesting to see what will happen now.  From a scientific perspective we are keen to see how the iceberg will affect the local ecosystem. Nutrients stirred up by the grounding and from its melt may boost food availability for the whole regional ecosystem, including for charismatic penguins and seals. We have several ongoing studies looking at exactly how ‘megabergs’ influence the ocean circulation, its chemistry, and the ecosystems they support.”

What damage can it do to wildlife? Why could it harm South Georgia seals and penguins?

“It is unlikely that South Georgia’s populations of seals and penguins are impacted by the iceberg. Potentially, it could interrupt their pathway to feeding sites and force the adults to expend more energy to travel around it.  This could reduce the amount of food coming back to pups and chicks on the island, and so increase mortality.  This has happened before in 2004, but in the Ross Sea area and not at South Georgia.  However, there could be an upside too – if the berg is stimulating ocean productivity, this could actually boost populations of local predators like seals and penguins.”