Who are we, what are we studying and why?

We (Cédric: postdoc and Marie: PhD student) are marine biologists of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels (Belgium), who are working on the Systematics of Antarctic amphipod crustaceans. This means that we are describing new amphipod species and are studying their phylogeny. Amphipods (i.e. the group of crustaceans including beach fleas) are present in all the seas of the world and in freshwater as well, but they are more diverse in Antarctic seas than anywhere else. They are actually the richest animal group in the Southern Ocean. Therefore, a good knowledge of Antarctic amphipod species, their distribution and their ecology is of pivotal importance for monitoring Antarctic environment and taking adequate decisions to effectively protect Antarctic biodiversity. It must be noticed that the average size of amphipods is higher in the Southern Ocean than in any other sea and that some have very spectacular morphologies, being iconic representatives of Antarctic sea life. Antarctic amphipods and other marine Antarctic organisms live in extremely cold waters (often about -1.7°C) and their capacity of thermal adaptation is extremely limited. A temperature increase of the a few degrees in Antarctic seas (for example as a consequence of human activities) could result in a mass extinction.

Some typical Antarctic amphipods photographed by Cédric during a previous expedition (ANT-XXIII/8, winter 2006-2007).