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Surviving the coldest place on Earth - Nadia Frontier

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TEDEd Animation

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The vast, white surface of Antarctica stretches for over 3 million square kilometers. On the coast of this expanse, just a few meters beneath the ice, lies a remarkably diverse realm that is home to over 8,000 species of sea denizens who rely on an arsenal of otherworldly traits to survive. So how do these species not only live, but thrive, in such harsh conditions? Nadia Frontier investigates.

Additional Resources for you to Explore

Antarctic research stations
Want to know more about living and working in Antarctica? Visit this blog to learn about what it’s like to live on an Antarctic station and some of the marine research that is conducted at Rothera. Rothera research station is located at 67 o South based on a small island called Adelaide located to the west of the West Antarctic Peninsula. You can visit the British Antarctic Survey website to find out about other British research stations and recent news stories. Thirty countries run research stations in Antarctica. 

The Antarctic Treaty
Learn more about how Antarctica is governed. The Antarctic Treaty was adopted in 1959 by twelve countries to protect and preserve Antarctica in terms of resource extraction. Scientific cooperation and peace are at the forefront of this policy and today 43 countries have pledged to abide by this treaty. The treaty will undergo revision in 2048 and currently there are serious concerns as to whether countries will decide to keep the protocol or start mining areas of the continent. You can read more here. 

The natural world
This is a great resource if you want to delve further into Antarctic Oceans, Atmosphere, Landscape, and Ecosystems. The National Snow and Ice Data Center has written a great piece about the process of sea ice formation. Read more about the underwater creatures of Antarctica and their incredible adaptations to the cold.  Finally, check out this great TED-Ed video delving into more detail about sea cucumbers.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Nadia Frontier
  • Director Sharon Colman
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
  • Music Miguel d'Oliveira
  • Sound Designer Bea Oliveira
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Producer Anna Bechtol, Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Fact-Checker Charles Wallace

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