Antarctic ascidians under increasing sedimentation: Physiological thresholds and ecosystem hysteresis

Glacier retreat effects on the distribution of benthic assemblages in Martel Inlet (Admiralty Bay, Antarctica)

“…More recently, the consequences of glacier retreat on the benthic environment have been observed in many regions of the WAP, including some bays and coves of King George Island (KGI), such as Potter Cove (Quartino et al 2013, Pasotti et al 2015, Sahade et al 2015, Lagger et al 2017, Hoffmann et al 2018, Braeckman et al 2019, Torre et al 2021), Marian Cove (Park et al 2020, Bae et al 2021 and Fildes/Maxwell Bay (Ko et al 2020, Valdivia et al 2020. These studies used different approaches to assess the role of glacier retreat on benthic communities' structuration, but only a few were dedicated to the effects of this retreat on the distribution of soft-bottom macrofauna assemblages (Pasotti et al 2015, Hoffmann et al 2018, Braeckman et al 2021.…”

Anthropogenic microfibres flux in an Antarctic coastal ecosystem: The tip of an iceberg?

“…Demonstrated adverse effects on the biota relate with physical damage, inhibited food assimilation, decreased nutritional value, oxidative stress, physiological alteration and energy metabolism adjustments (de Ruijter et al 2020) among others. These are also typical responses under exposure to naturally occurring mineral particles (Ogonowski et al 2018), which poses greater risks to coastal Antarctic biota that is already challenged due to seasonal discharge of inorganic particles washed from land (Torre et al 2021). Hazardous levels of mineral particles have become a frequent feature in coastal areas during summer as a consequence of glacial retreat, being linked to drastic shifts in the biota (Torre et al 2021) and mortality (Fuentes et al 2016), were related to the exposure to these particles (i.e.…”

“…However, published studies indicate that microplastic effects are similar to those provoked by natural inorganic particles derived from terrestrial runoff (Ogonowski et al 2018). In Potter Cove, inorganic runoff compromises several physiological functions in filter feeders, compromising their energy balance (Alurralde et al 2019;Torre et al 2021).…”