Antarctic coastal freshening threatens marine life, study warns

Researchers from the University of Plymouth and the British Antarctic Survey have found that reduced salt levels in Antarctic coastal waters, driven by melting glaciers and increased rainfall, pose a serious risk to marine invertebrates. The study focused on the amphipod Paraceradocus miersi, whose body fluids normally match seawater chemistry. Continued freshening could disrupt local ecosystems and potentially alter global ocean dynamics.