Global warming hits Antarctica

KOLKATA: Global warming has been adversely affecting the existence of fauna, particularly microbes in Antarctica, according to scientists at the third Indian Antarctic research station on 'Last Man Hill' in the icy continent.

"Harmful effects of ultra violent radiation have been alarming on micro organisms, specially the microbes whose population has been dwindling strikingly," said Indian Antarctic Research Core Committee member Ashish Hazra.

The ozone hole which led to increase in ultra violet radiation in the last four to five years has affected the fauna, though its effect on marine life like krill was not alarming, he told PTI.

Since 1992, glaciers were steadily diminishing from centimeters to inches now, Hazra said quoting the Indian scientists at the new station.

He said the trend was alarming and Indian scientists, drawn from ZSI, GSI and many other national laboratories and scientific institutions, were keeping a close watch on the shrinking glaciers, a phenomenon that has been recently detected also in Greenland.

Hazra, who visited the first Indian station 'Maitrayi' as a senior zoologist of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in 1989-90 as part of the Indian team, said that close monitoring of glaciers located 71 degrees south latitude, was being maintained in view of their diminishing volume and area.