Antarctica is a region of the world where climate change is visible in the rapid melting of glaciers. This is particularly evident in marginal zones, where the pace of glacial retreat has systematically accelerated. The effective mapping of these changes is possible with the use of remote sensing methods. This study assesses changes in glacier margin positions between 1979

Long term changes (46 years) in the abundance of pygoscelid penguins breeding populations and nests distribution in the Lions Rump (King George Island) colony were in− vestigated in three time intervals, according to previously published two censuses and one original study conducted in 2010. At that time a detailed colony map based on the GIS system was made. Results of this study showed different trends for each investigated species. In the last three decades Adélie penguin breeding populations showed strong declining tendencies (69.61%). In contrast, the population of gentoo penguins represents the reverse trend, increas− ing 171.85% over the same period. Observed changes in both penguin population sizes are re− flected in the different spatial and geographic distribution of their nests. The population changes observed at the Lions Rump colony are consistent with the relevant pygoscelid pen− guin tendencies in the western Antarctic Peninsula region. Breeding penguin population dy− namics at Lions Rump area with a minimal disturbance by human activity may well illustrate a natural response of those birds to environmental changes in the Antarctic.

A programme to monitor non-breeding bird species in the vicinity of Arctowski Station, King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica, has been conducted over the past 30 years. The white-rumped sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis (Vieillot 1819) seems to occur now as a vagrant in South Shetlands area more frequently than previously. This trend, and the annual variation in numbers that have been observed could be a result of short term and longer term variation in weather and climate conditions during the austral spring and summer months when this species is observed. A higher air temperature, which is a result of predominant northern winds bringing relatively warm and moist air, would probably result in more open habitats and better food resources that would allow the birds to persist or survive.

The maritime Antarctic is characterised by highly variable weather conditions throughout the year, as well as over multi-year periods. The annual variability of weather conditions constitutes an important basis for biological and geographical studies, allowing for the monitoring of the functioning and changes of the geographical environment of the west coast of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica). Year-round meteorological observations (1.2006-12.2006) measured: atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, air temperature, relative humidity, total precipitation, snow cover, and Admiralty Bay ice cover.

The recently observed recession of glaciers on King George Island is associated with decades of climate warming in the Antarctic Peninsula region. However, with only 60 years of glaciological observations in the study area ages of the oldest moraines are still uncertain. The goal of the study was to estimate ages of lichen colonization on the oldest moraines of the Ecology and White Eagle Glaciers on King George Island and on the Principal Cone of Penguin Island volcano. The first lichenometric studies on these islands from the late 1970s used rates that had about four to five times slower Rhizocarpon growth rates. We re‐examined the sites and measured 996 thalli diameters to establish the surface ages. To estimate the age we used (1) long‐term Rhizocarpon lichen group growth rates established by authors using data from a previous lichenometric study on King George Island, and (2) previous data of lichen growth rates from other sub‐Antarctic islands. Our results suggest growth rates between 0.5 and 0.8 mm yr–1. According to these rates the ages of the oldest moraine ridges are of the Little Ice Age and were colonized at the beginning of the twentieth century. The mid‐twentieth century age of lichen colonization on the historically active Penguin Island volcano might support the date of the last eruption reported by whalers in the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century.

ABSTRACT:Rapid climate changes which have been observed over the recent years in both polar regions of the Earth, directly or indirectly affect vegetation dynamics. This article presents the main directions of the changes taking place in the recent years in tundra communities of both polar regions, based on original research carried out in the Arctic in Spitsbergen and in the maritime Antarctic on King George Island.

The goal of the research was to learn how young people perceive the value of the Vistula River in Poland. A large sample of high school students (1900 participants, 17-18 years old) from 11 cities along the Vistula was selected for this study. The results indicated a large variety of river values realized by students -symbolical-national, urban, natural, cultural, recreational and sentimental -and displayed values that were rarely shown or omitted.The results were used to create recommendations and themes of education for sustainable development, which are focused on rivers and river valleys. Overall, modified directions, assortment and stronger inflections for the education about rivers, their value and sustainable development are recommended for educational programmes. Results can also help to determine sustainable development pathways for cities, investment planning, usage of river banks and projects of various non-governmental organizations including education.

An echinoderm association is reported from the ?early late Albian Paddy Member of the Peace River Formation of British Columbia, Canada. The association includes Frasericrinus mauricensis gen. et sp. nov., two additional distinctive crinoid column types, a poorly preserved asteroid, and an umbilical fragment of the cephalopod Stelckiceras. This is the first report of a Cretaceous isocrinid from North America. The echinoderm fossils are from the top of a succession of storm-deposited sandstones and mudstones (Boulder Creek Formation) that can be correlated southward into nearshore and terrestrial facies of the Paddy Member of the Peace River Formation. The echinoderm fossils were buried (and probably lived) about 12-14 km from the contemporaneous shoreline in an estimated water depth of 10-20 m. Integration of biostratigraphic and allostratigraphic schemes suggests that the echinoderms are of earliest late Albian age. The association of the echinoderm fauna with ammonites of Boreal affinity indicates deposition in northern waters, although the presence of Tethyan inoceramids in apparently coeval Paddy Member strata 270 km to the east suggests that northward-advancing water from the Gulf of Mexico had reached northwestern Alberta, if not actually merged with the Boreal embayment. The nearshore occurrence of Cretaceous stalked crinoids is indicative of an asynchronous, gradual migration of stalked crinoids to deep-water habitats, to which they are restricted in modern oceans. Résumé :Une association d'échinodermes est signalée du Membre de Paddy du ?début de l'Albien tardif de la Formation de Peace River, en Colombie-Britannique (Canada). L'association comprend Frasericrinus mauricensis gen. et sp. nov., deux autres types de colonnes de crinoïde distinctives, un astéride mal préservé et un fragment ombilical du céphalopode Stelckiceras. Il s'agit du premier signalement d'un isocrinidé d'âge crétacé en Amérique du Nord. Les fossiles d'échinodermes proviennent du haut d'une séquence de grès et de mudstones déposés par des tempêtes (Formation de Boulder Creek) qui peuvent être corrélés vers le sud aux faciès littoraux et terrestres du Membre de Paddy de la Formation de Peace River. Les fossiles d'échinodermes ont été ensevelis (et ont probablement vécu) à environ de 12 à 14 km de la côte contemporaine dans des eaux d'une profondeur estimée de 10 à 20 m. L'intégration de schémas biostratigraphiques et allostratigraphiques donne à penser que les échinodermes sont du tout début de l'Albien tardif. L'association de la faune à échinodermes avec des ammonites d'affinité boréale indique un dépôt dans des eaux septentrionales, bien que la présence d'inocéramidés téthysiens dans des strates apparemment contemporaines du Membre de Paddy, à 270 km à l'est, donne à penser que des eaux s'avançant vers le nord à partir du golfe du Mexique avaient atteint le nord-ouest de l'Alberta et avaient même peut-être rejoint l'échancrure boréale. La présence en milieu littoral de crinoïdes pédonculés d'âge crétacé indique une migration asynchr...