Are there insects in Antarctica? Fauna of Antarctica - list, species, characteristics and photos of the fauna of the continent. What kind of expedition are you currently on?

The Antarctic inhabitants, the Diptera Belgica antarctica, use both cryoprotective and anti-dehydration mechanisms to protect themselves from local cold.

Insects, as we know, are cold-blooded creatures; their activity strongly depends on the ambient temperature. At low temperatures they are inactive and try to wait out the cold in a state of hibernation. It would be strange to see insects, for example, in Antarctica, side by side with penguins and seals. However, Belgica antarctica from the order Diptera managed to put birds and mammals to shame: this species spends its entire life in the depths of the Antarctic continent, not in the least embarrassed by the extreme temperatures there.

Belgica antarctica spends two years as a larva, and turns into an adult insect in just a couple of weeks. This is enough to have time to perform a mating dance and lay eggs. During their short life, adult individuals do not feed, devoting all their time to searching for a partner and competing with each other for a female: the numerical superiority of males in B. antarctica is 6 to 1. As for the larvae, they feed on algae and other microorganisms, preferring to stay close penguin colonies.

B. antarctica larvae are resistant to a wide variety of stresses. They attracted the attention of scientists by surviving immersion in a toxic solution intended for the preservation of biological samples: after a day of being in it, the larvae were alive. Researchers from Ohio University (USA) set out to find out how this insect manages to survive Antarctic winters. The cold presents him with a difficult choice: remain unfrozen, but lose a lot of liquid, or retain liquid, but run the risk of damaging himself with ice crystals. As it turns out, B. antarctica uses both possibilities equally.

When a larva decides to freeze, its body and tissues become rigid, which protects them from damage during cooling. Researchers believe that B. antarctica owes this effect to the antifreeze cocktail synthesized at this time. One of its components is the carbohydrate trehalose, which was previously found in the tissues of plants and animals that are resistant to dehydration. The larvae spend the winter in shelters under stones, where the temperature still does not reach the lowest values. But what happens if insects still have to lose water?

In a paper published in the Journal of Insect Physiology, the authors report that B. antarctica larvae can lose up to 70% of their body fluids (though losing just 15% is fatal to humans). Of course, for this they have special proteins that prevent water loss; In addition, to reduce the degree of dehydration, the larvae gather together and overwinter in large clusters. But the main - and limiting - factor in protecting the larvae from desiccation is their supply of carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are used for the synthesis of substances that prevent water loss. Experiments have shown that the larvae can withstand four “drying” cycles, but the fifth turns out to be the last for 35% of insects: the supply of carbohydrate raw materials is exhausted.

So, when the temperature drops, the larvae first turn on resistance to desiccation, and then cold resistance. According to the researchers, larvae rarely have to withstand more than four “freezing” cycles during the winter, so nothing prevents B. antarctica from thriving - if, of course, this can be said about life in Antarctica.

From October 29 to November 8, 2016, the First Antarctic Entrepreneurship Summit was held in Antarctica. Its participants met and talked with the administrator of the Bellingshausen polar station, Sergei Mikhailovich Nikitin.

Sergei Mikhailovich Nikitin

Administrator of the Bellingshausen polar station. In 1979 he graduated from the Leningrad Medical Institute. For many years he worked as an anesthesiologist-resuscitator. He has 8 winters and 11 expeditions to Antarctica. The first expedition took place in 1987.

Who are polar explorers?

The polar explorer profession does not exist. According to our legislation, a person working in the polar regions is not a polar explorer. Such people simply receive certain benefits due to their working conditions.

I don't know what a polar explorer is. According to the staffing schedule, diesel engineers, mechanics, electricians, and cooks work at the station.

There will still be many scientists in the summer. They collect information in various areas: meteorology, geology, satellite information reception. Now we have German ornithologists working here. Big pedants - strictly control the breeding areas of birds.

Who is in charge of all this?

Administration. More precisely, the administrator of the polar station. Officially, the position is called administrator, not chief. But usually everyone says “boss.”

I don't think this is a calling. An administrator at the station is a necessity.

This can be anyone who has some experience working in the polar regions, especially at remote stations. There is such a thing as hard-to-reach stations. These include, for example, our stations in Antarctica.

Where do they train to become polar explorers?

There is an Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, founded back in 1920. But they don’t teach anyone there. The institute simply selects people of certain qualifications to work at polar stations.

A person with a diploma as a cook or mechanic comes to the human resources department of the institute and says that he wants to work at the station. If there is a need for this specialist, he is added to the reserve, and when the time comes, he is sent to Antarctica.

Special attention is given to newcomers to the station. Let's see how a person settles in. After wintering, the station chief writes whether he is suitable for work in the conditions of polar stations and subsequent expeditions.

How did your journey to Antarctica begin?

I'm not a lyricist. I didn’t dream about Antarctica, but I really wanted to get here, as I had heard many stories about it from friends and acquaintances.

In Soviet times, it was impossible to visit Antarctica as a tourist. That's why I went to work as a doctor (by training I am an anesthesiologist-resuscitator).

In 1985, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute recommended me to participate in the expedition. Two years later I found myself in Antarctica for the first time.

I ended up at the Progress Soviet Antarctic station under construction. Now this is the most technologically advanced Russian base, but then it was literally cobbled together from cardboard boxes. Just a three by four plank house. You open the door, and you are already in Antarctica.

It was tough. They told us: “Guys, are you going to spend the winter or do you want to go home?” We stayed.

I spent 13 months on Progress without going out into the world. Then everything ended well for everyone - they overwintered normally. But this was a real school of North and South, where the South turned out to be more dangerous than the North.

Then I returned and worked in medicine. But in the 1990s, life was such that it was impossible to support a family on a doctor’s salary. And I was bored on the mainland. After 11 years I returned to Antarctica. The only one from the previous lineup.

What kind of expedition are you currently on?

This is my eighth winter and eleventh expedition.

Expeditions are usually seasonal. They last from four to six months, depending on the amount of work planned to be carried out. Work is divided into seasonal and wintering.

When going to the station, people sign a contract (even full-time employees), and upon returning they quit or go on long leave until the next expedition.

There are people who fly in for a month to do some specific work. After all, the institute receives applications from a variety of organizations. For example, at the beginning of February next year we are expecting air surveyors. We are also waiting for technical specialists who will prepare the station equipment for operation. A paleobiologist and glaciologist (a glacier specialist who studies ice movements) will come to us.

What are your daily responsibilities?

The station manager is responsible for everything: from purchasing things necessary for life to scientific activities.

There is a general program for all specialists, which describes the mission, tasks and scope of work that each expedition participant is required to perform.

For example, there is a task - monitoring sea level. In the event of ice formation, we must set up poles, place instruments, and take down information. All this is described from start to finish.

The administrator is responsible for the execution of all scientific programs, and if some process is not going well, it’s up to me.

Do polar explorers have social benefits and privileges?

There are currently no benefits for polar explorers as such. There are simply rules regulating work in the Far North.

Three years ago, when the Polar Explorer's Day holiday was established, all employees of polar stations were equated with workers of the Far North. What does it mean?

Take, for example, cities in the Arctic Circle. Their residents also work in difficult conditions, but at the same time enjoy all the benefits of civilization, come home, lie down in a warm bath, sleep with their wives, see their children.

For some reason, the gentlemen who are developing the laws decided that Antarctica, where the altitude is four kilometers, where there is hypoxia and -80 degrees, is Murmansk. I think this is unfair.

Previously, we had small privileges: the vacation was longer, the work experience was longer. All this was possible from the moment we crossed 50 degrees south latitude on the ship.

Currently, the minimum salary for a polar station employee is 60,000 rubles. Maximum - 150,000.

I'm already retired. My pension is huge - 15,000 rubles.

If you compare your work with office work, what are its features?

You can't fire a person at a polar station. It's very scary.

In Antarctica, everything that happened at the station is the station's problem. And everything happens. It's like a submarine. But submarines now go out for only a month (previously four), and there are special isolation wards for sailors or officers. Because even strong people have deviations.

“Bellingshausen” in this regard is a successful base, open to the outside world. It's scary at hard-to-reach stations. Illness and interpersonal disagreements can become a huge problem. The life of the entire station may be at risk.

The most important principle is not to teach others. If an adult feels that you are trying to change him, there will be a conflict. It’s better to think good about people here than bad.

The atmosphere at the station is immediately visible. When everything is good, the administrator has established relationships with everyone and between everyone, everyone walks around and smiles. You can sit in the company of a person and not notice him, and this is wonderful. When the situation is tense, people are excited, walk around warily, and look around.

How is life at the station?

Compared to that first Antarctica, where I ended up, life is now at a fairly high level. We have the Internet and television - what can I say.

But there is a serious katabatic wind here. Cold air, accelerating across the ice dome, where the temperature is -50 ° C, goes to the sea. As it accelerates, it heats up to about –30 °C. But this katabatic wind reaches a speed of 56 m/s, which is approximately 250 km/h. This is the most unpleasant natural phenomenon in Antarctica.

How do polar explorers relax at the station?

There is a saying: “Polar explorers are afraid of cold, hunger and work.” But this is more of a joke. We are not afraid of work. Sometimes we do it in emergency mode and in extreme conditions, because everyone wants to live.

Rest is a purely personal matter. All people are different. Some people like to read, others play sports.

We have a tennis table and a good gym where bodybuilding enthusiasts work on themselves. Sometimes we organize tennis tournaments. It can be a lot of fun.

We also try to celebrate birthdays and other holidays with joy. But without consequences.

What's missing most from the station?

When a normal person leaves somewhere for a long time, he only misses home.

Antarctica is the icy continent of our planet. But despite the extremely low temperatures, there is a very extensive fauna here. It would seem that who or what can survive in the endless snowy expanses, but the animals feel comfortable there. They build their homes, get food and fight for territory with rivals. Let's talk in more detail about what kind of fauna Antarctica hides. The animals here are very diverse and unusual, causing surprise and sometimes even fear.

Everyone should know

Too harsh winds and low temperatures are not suitable for all animals, so everything is stable in Antarctica. New species do not appear here, nor do they disappear, because poaching is practically not developed here. The waters are very rich in phytoplankton, which provide plant food for almost the entire continent. Birds flock here and fish swim in search of prey. Krill, small herbivores, arrive here every year. They drift with the waters and become food for squids, octopuses and whales. A separate discussion concerns the birds of Antarctica. There are very, very many of them here. Some become food themselves, while others are ideal hunters. Let's look at what kind of fauna Antarctica is famous for. Animals, as noted above, are different. Let's start with the most numerous.

Adelie Penguins

It is hardly possible to count the number of these birds that are found here. Every year they return to their old breeding site. These are unique birds, especially if you look at their appearance, which has been formed over many years of survival in difficult conditions. Since they spend most of their time in water, their powerful paws eventually became flippers, the body took on a streamlined shape, and the wings turned into fins. In water, Adelie penguins reach speeds of up to 15 km/h. They often jump quite high out of the water. Living conditions have made these birds terrestrial; from a distance they look more like clumsy, well-fed people dressed in a suit. But the animal world of Antarctica does not end there; let’s look at other inhabitants for whom this place has become their home.

Emperor penguin

Of the penguin family, this representative is considered the largest and heaviest. Its average height is 122 centimeters, and the maximum recorded is 130 cm. Weight ranges from 22 to 45 kilograms. Just like the king penguin, this one belongs to the emperor species and bears the same name. It is interesting that these birds have a very developed pectoral muscle. Of all the representatives of its genus, the emperor penguin has climbed far to the south. About 300,000 individuals live on the ice floes of Antarctica. Birds immigrate to the mainland only to mate and hatch eggs. The daily diet includes squid, krill and fish. Emperor penguins hunt in groups. Small prey is eaten while still in the water, while larger prey is cut up on land.

Antarctica: animals of the seal family

The Ross seal is the only representative of its species. Its key feature is that it is significantly smaller than its relatives. Of course, the animal world of Antarctica is still little explored, and the Ross seal - even less. This is due to the fact that it lives in places that are difficult for humans to reach. In addition, it is considered a very rare species, and for researchers it will be a real happiness to meet this animal. The animal's body length usually does not exceed 2 meters, and its weight is 200 kilograms. The Ross seal has a large amount of subcutaneous fat and a thick neck into which it can almost completely retract its head.

What animal lives in Antarctica?

One of the most majestic, huge and rare creatures of the continent is the blue or blue whale. Today, the number of this representative of cetaceans is gradually increasing, but a few years ago it was considered very rare. This was due to the fact that Chinese poachers destroyed most of the population. You will probably be surprised to learn that the length of this giant can reach 40 meters and weight more than 150 tons. The heart of a blue whale alone weighs about a ton. We can say with great confidence which animals in Antarctica are the most amazing - blue whales. Currently, they are considered the largest inhabitants of planet Earth.

Conclusion

For many birds and animals, the only safe place on the planet is Antarctica. Animals here mostly exist in large populations. Almost no one ever catches them. However, there is a need to continually monitor whaling and other types of poaching. Petrels, penguins, Weddell seals and other animals need human protection. It is safe to say that the fauna of Antarctica is unique in its own way; there are representatives of penguins and seals that do not live anywhere else. Occasionally, birds and animals for which this climate is not normal swim or fly in here. After exploring the new area a little, most return to their home.

In January 1820, a Russian expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev discovered Antarctica, the existence of which had previously only been speculated. Today we have collected for you interesting and little-known facts about the most remote southern continent - the highest, driest, windiest, sparsely populated and coldest place on earth.

1. At one time, it was impossible to work in Antarctica for those who had not had their wisdom teeth and appendix removed. Due to the fact that surgical operations were not performed at Antarctic stations, to work here it was necessary to first part with these parts of the body, even if they were completely healthy.

3. Like many countries, Antarctica has its own Internet domain - .aq

4. 53 million years ago, it was so warm in Antarctica that palm trees grew on its shores, and the air temperature rose above 20 degrees Celsius.

5. In December 2013, Metallica gave a concert in Antarctica, thus becoming the first band in the world to perform on all continents. In order not to disturb the local fauna, the concert was held under a special protective dome, and the audience listened to the music through headphones.

6. From 1960 to 1972, the first nuclear power plant in Antarctica operated at McMurdo Station, the largest settlement and research center owned by the United States.

7. Antarctica has its own fire station. It belongs to the McMurdo station, and it employs real professional firefighters.

8. Despite the extreme conditions, 1,150 species of fungi have been discovered in Antarctica. They adapt well to extremely low temperatures and extended periods of freezing and thawing.

9. Technically, all 24 time zones are present in Antarctica, since their boundaries converge at one point at both poles.

10. There are no polar bears in Antarctica. To look at them, you will have to go to the North Pole or, for example, to Canada.

11. There is a bar in Antarctica - the southernmost bar on the planet. And it is located at the Akademik Vernadsky station, which belongs to Ukraine.

12. The lowest temperature ever recorded on earth - minus 89.2 degrees Celsius - was recorded in Antarctica at the Russian Vostok station on July 21, 1983.

13. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent in the world. Its territory is 14 million square meters. km.

14. 99% of Antarctica is covered with ice. The continent's ice sheet is often called an ice sheet.

15. The average ice thickness of Antarctica is 1.6 km. Antarctica contains approximately 70% of all fresh water on earth.

16. The Transantarctic Mountains run across the entire continent and divide it into western and eastern parts. This ridge is one of the longest in the world - its length is 3500 km.

17. The existence of the continent of Antarctica was unknown until its discovery in 1820. Before this it was assumed that it was just a group of islands.

18. On December 14, 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole and plant his nation's flag there. He also became the first person to visit both geographic poles of the planet.

19. As a result of secret negotiations, on December 1, 1959, 12 countries concluded the Antarctic Treaty, providing for the demilitarization of the Antarctic area and its use for exclusively peaceful purposes. Today, more than 50 countries are parties to the Treaty.

20. On January 7, 1978, Argentinean Emilio Marcos Palma was born - the first person in history to be born in Antarctica. It is believed that this event was a planned action by the Argentine government, which specifically sent a pregnant woman to the Esperanza station in order to subsequently claim rights to part of the territory of Antarctica.

1. The territory of Antarctica does not belong to anyone - not to any country in the world.

2. Antarctica is the southernmost continent.

3. The area of ​​Antarctica is 14 million 107 thousand square kilometers.

4. Antarctica has been depicted on maps since ancient times even before its official discovery. It was then called the “Unknown Southern Land” (or “Australis Incognita”).

5. The warmest time in Antarctica is February. This same month is the time for scientists to “change shifts” at research stations.

6. The area of ​​the continent of Antarctica is about 52 million km.

7. Antarctica is the second largest in area after Australia.

8. Antarctica has no government or official population.

9. Antarctica has a telephone code and its own flag. The outline of the continent of Antarctica itself is drawn on the blue background of the flag.

10. It is generally accepted that the first human scientist in Antarctica was the Norwegian Karsten Borchgrevink. But here historians disagree, because there is documentary evidence that Lazarev and Bellingshausen were the first to set foot on the continent of Antarctica with their expedition.

12. Antarctica has its own currency, valid only on the continent.

13. Antarctica officially recorded the lowest temperature in the world – 91.2°C below zero.

14. The maximum temperature above zero in Antarctica is 15°C.

15. The average temperature in summer is minus 30-50°C.

16. No more than 6 cm of precipitation falls per year.

17. Antarctica is the only continent uninhabitable.

18. In 1999, an iceberg the size of London broke off from the continent of Antarctica.

19. The mandatory diet for workers at research stations in Antarctica includes beer.

20. Since 1980, Antarctica has been accessible to tourists.

21. Antarctica is the driest continent on the planet. In one of its areas - the Dry Valley - there has been no rain for about two million years. Oddly enough, there is no ice at all in this area.

22. Antarctica is the only habitat on the planet for emperor penguins.

23. Antarctica is an ideal place for those who study meteorites. Meteorites falling on the continent were preserved in their original form thanks to ice.

24. The continent of Antarctica does not have a time zone.

25. All time zones (and there are 24 of them) can be bypassed here in a few seconds.

26. The most common life form in Antarctica is the wingless midge BelgicaAntarctida. It is no more than one and a half centimeters long.

27. If the ice of Antarctica ever melts, the level of the world's oceans will rise by 60 meters.

28. In addition to the above, a global flood cannot be expected; the temperature on the continent will never rise above zero.

29. In Antarctica there are fish whose blood does not contain hemoglobin and red blood cells, so their blood is colorless. Moreover, the blood contains a special substance that allows it not to freeze even at the lowest temperatures.

30. No more than 4 thousand people live in Antarctica.

31. There are two active volcanoes on the continent.

32. In 1961, on April 29, in less than two hours, Leonid Rogozov, a doctor on the Soviet expedition to Antarctica, performed an operation on himself to remove appendicitis. The operation was successful.

33. Polar bears do not live here - this is a general misconception. It's too cold for bears here.

34.Only two types of plants grow here, flowering ones. True, they grow in the warmest zones of the mainland. These are: Antarctic meadow and Kolobantusquito.

35. The name of the continent comes from the ancient word “Arktikos”, which literally translates as “opposite the bear”. The continent received this name in honor of the constellation Ursa Major.

36. Antarctica has the most powerful winds and the highest levels of solar radiation.

37. The cleanest sea in the world is in Antarctica: the transparency of the water allows you to see objects at a depth of 80 meters.

38. The first person born on the continent is Emilio Marcos Palma, Argentinean. Born in 1978.

39. In winter, Antarctica doubles in area.

40. In 1999, doctor Jerry Nielsen had to self-administer chemotherapy after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The problem is that Antarctica is a deserted place and isolated from the outside world.

41. Oddly enough, there are rivers in Antarctica. The most famous is the Onyx River. It flows only during the summer – that’s two months. The length of the river is 40 kilometers. There are no fish in the river.

42. Bloody Falls - located in Taylor Valley. The water in the waterfall has a bloody hue due to the high iron content, which forms rust. The water in the waterfall never freezes because it is four times saltier than ordinary sea water.

43. Bones of herbivorous dinosaurs were found on the continent, which are already about 190 million years old. They lived there when the climate was warm, and Antarctica was part of the same continent, Gondwana.

44. If Antarctica were not covered with ice, the height of the continent would be only 410 meters.

45. The maximum ice thickness is 3800 meters.

46. ​​There are many subglacial lakes in Antarctica. The most famous of them is Lake Vostok. Its length is 250 kilometers, width is 50 kilometers.

47. Lake Vostok was hidden from humanity for 14,000,000 years.

48. Antarctica is the sixth and last discovered continent.

49. About 270 people have died since the discovery of Antarctica, including a cat named Chippy.

50. There are more than forty permanently operating scientific stations on the continent.

51. There are a huge number of abandoned places in Antarctica. The most famous is the camp founded by Robert Scott from Britain in 1911. Today, such camps have become a tourist attraction.

52. Wrecked ships were often found off the coast of Antarctica - mainly Spanish galleons of the 16th and 17th centuries.

53. In the area of ​​one of the regions of Antarctica (Wilkis Land) there is a giant crater from a meteorite fall (500 kilometers in diameter).

54. Antarctica is the highest continent on planet Earth.

55. If global warming continues, trees will grow in Antarctica.

56. Antarctica has huge reserves of natural resources.

57. The biggest danger for scientists on the continent is open fire. The dry atmosphere makes it very difficult to extinguish.

58. 90% of ice reserves are in Antarctica.

59. Above Antarctica, the largest ozone hole in the world is 27 million square meters. km.

60. 80 percent of the world's fresh water is concentrated in Antarctica.

61. Antarctica is home to a famous natural ice sculpture called the Frozen Wave.

62. No one lives in Antarctica permanently - only in shifts.

63. Antarctica is the only continent in the world where ants do not live.

64. The largest iceberg on the planet is located in the waters of Antarctica - it weighs approximately three billion tons, and its area exceeds the area of ​​the island of Jamaica.

65. Pyramids similar in size to the Pyramids of Giza have been discovered in Antarctica.

66. Antarctica is surrounded by legends about Hitler’s underground bases - after all, it was he who closely explored this area during the Second World War

67. The highest point of Antarctica is 5140 meters (Sentinel Ridge).

68. Only 2% of the earth “peeks out” from under the ice of Antarctica.

69. Due to the gravity of the Antarctic ice, the southern belt of the earth is deformed, which makes our planet oval.

70. Currently, seven countries of the world (Australia, New Zealand, Chile, France, Argentina, Great Britain and Norway) are trying to divide the territory of Antarctica among themselves.

71. The only two countries that have never claimed the territory of Antarctica are the USA and Russia.

72. Above Antarctica there is the clearest part of the sky, best suited for space exploration and observing the birth of new stars.

73. Every year in Antarctica, a hundred-kilometer ice marathon is held - a race in the area of ​​​​Mount Ellsworth.

74. Mining has been banned in Antarctica since 1991.

75. The word “Antarctica” is translated from Greek as “the opposite of the Arctic.”

76. A special breed of tick lives on the surface of Antarctica. This mite can secrete a substance similar in composition to car antifreeze.

77. The famous Hell's Gate Canyon is also located in Antarctica. The temperature there drops to 95 degrees, and the wind speed reaches 200 kilometers per hour - these are unsuitable conditions for humans.

78. Before the Ice Age, Antarctica had a hot, tropical climate.

79. Antarctica influences the climate of the entire planet.

80. The installation of military facilities and the installation of nuclear power plants is strictly prohibited on the continent.

81. Antarctica even has its own Internet domain - .aq (which stands for AQUA).

82. The first regular passenger plane arrived in Antarctica in 2007.

83. Antarctica is an international protected area.

84. The surface of the McMurdo Dry Valley in Antarctica and its climate are very similar to the surface of the planet Mars, so NASA occasionally conduct test launches of their space rockets here.

85. 4-10% of polar scientists in Antarctica are Russian.

86. A monument to Lenin was erected in Antarctica (1958).

87. New bacteria unknown to modern science were discovered in the ice of Antarctica.

88. Scientists at Antarctic bases live so friendly that as a result, many interethnic marriages have been concluded.

89. There is an assumption that Antarctica is the lost Atlantis. 12,000 years ago, the climate on this continent was hot, but after an asteroid hit the Earth, the axis shifted, and the continent along with it.

90. An Antarctic blue whale eats about 4 million shrimp in one day - that's about 3,600 kilograms.

91. There is a Russian Orthodox Church in Antarctica (on Waterloo Island). This is the Church of the Holy Trinity near the Arctic station of Bellingshausen.

92. Apart from penguins, there are no land animals in Antarctica.

93. In Antarctica you can observe such a phenomenon as pearlescent clouds. This happens when the temperature drops to 73 degrees Celsius below zero.