Three examples of marine life in the Antarctic: Seals and krill live in the Southern Ocean. Penguins live on the Antarctic continent and rely on the ocean for food.
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Upper/middle photos courtesy of Uwe Kils and lower photo courtesy of Stan Shebs
Antarctic Marine Life
The chilly waters of the Southern Ocean are home to many different animals including eight types of whales, six types of seals, many types of fish, and Antarctic krill, a small shrimp-like animal.
There are 17 types of penguins in Antarctica. Penguins are considered to be marine animals even though they live on land because they depend on the ocean for food.
The Southern Ocean food chain begins like most marine food chains, with primary producers called phytoplankton. Through photosynthesis, phytoplankton convert the Sun’s energy into food. Animals like Antarctic krill eat the phytoplankton and then larger animals such as penguins eat the krill.
Last modified January 22, 2007 by Lisa Gardiner.
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