Invading Aliens

Apparently aliens are being found in Antartica. Not the little green men kind of aliens, but species that are alien to Antartica. Forms of life such as moss, lichen, insects, seeds and spores that are alien to the Antartic continent are being found. As our climate changes the average temperature in Antartica is rising and becoming a new environment for life.

It's said that visitors to the continent are carrying seeds and spores as well as cargo ships bringing rats and mice. Some plants have already taken hold on the island of South Georgia. A European species of grass is suspect, not that there really is anything alien about grass. It's not unusual for life to be invasive, considering that a some years ago there was a lot of press for an invasive species of mussels in the great lakes area. The zebra mussel was originally from Russia and was found to be clogging pipes here in the North American Great Lakes area.

It seems like everywhere we go, different varieties of life always follow us. Visitors to the Antartic continent have unknowingly brought seeds, spores and insect eggs with them. The continent is the last pristine environment on the planet and people are trying to keep it that way. There has been patches of grass found underneath tents and invasive plantlife found out side of Russian reseach tents. Right now researchers at the Troll Station are only allowed fresh fruits when visitors are flown in to a local airstrip.

There was one swedish scientist who found eight different unknown species in a small pond. This is just evidence that life can survive in harsh climates. But tourism groups are making an effort to reduce the risk of foreign invading species to the continent. An Australian group requires visitors to vacuum their clothes to remove any seeds or spores that may be travelling with them and visitors are banned from bringing food ashore. Are all these restrictions enough to keep life from flourishing on the Antartic continent? Maybe, but really only time will tell. What do you think?

Image source: WP Clipart
News Story: FEATURE-Antarctica on alert for alien invaders