Sejong University First to Identify Changes in Antarctic Food Web Due to Climate Change

Sejong University announced on the 19th that a research team led by Professor No Joon-sung of the Department of Environmental Convergence Engineering has, for the first time in the world, identified structural changes in the Antarctic coastal food web due to climate change.

Professor No Jun-seong (left, corresponding author) and Dr. Lee In-ok (first author)

Professor No and Dr. Lee In-ok (first author) conducted the research in collaboration with Professor Kim Jong-sung of Seoul National University and Dr. Ahn In-young’s team from the Korea Polar Research Institute.

The research team utilized stable isotope analysis techniques to elucidate changes in the Antarctic coastal ecosystem. As a result, they revealed that glacier retreat and sea ice variability affect the dietary structure and nutrient flow of coastal organisms.

They also confirmed that glacier retreat along the West Antarctic coast shifts the primary food sources of key organisms, including scallops, from microalgae to macroalgae. This is interpreted as a result of increased nutrient inflow due to glacier retreat and enhanced seabed light penetration, leading to a rapid increase in macroalgal biomass. Some organisms were found to inhabit areas near glaciers.

The researchers analyzed that sea ice variability also influences energy flow within the coastal ecosystem food web. The West Antarctic showed a trend of sea ice retreat, while the East Antarctic exhibited sea ice expansion, with differing carbon isotope distributions according to regional sea ice changes.

Based on these findings, Professor No argued that region-specific management strategies are necessary to conserve the Antarctic ecosystem. He stated, "This study is the first case to clearly demonstrate the impact of climate change on the Antarctic ecosystem," adding, "It can serve as foundational data for future policy development."

Meanwhile, this research was conducted with support from the 'CHAMP 2050' project led by the Korea Polar Research Institute, and the results were published in the international environmental science journal Communications Earth & Environment (IF=8.1, top 5%).