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The Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea make up the most diverse and productive marine ecosystem in the Antarctic region. The Weddell Sea supports a rich marine ecosystem, where huge quantities of krill provide food for diverse populations of fish and marine mammals. This sea also supports thriving colonies of penguins that lay their eggs and raise their young on the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Weddell Sea is usually covered with ice. Large zones of upwelling water bring abundant nutrients to the surface, which allow large populations of krill to develop. Huge amounts of these tiny shrimp-like animals provide nutritious food for whales and other creatures. Many kinds of squid, seabirds, and fish live in Antarctic waters, including the unusual "bloodless" fish in the Channichthyidae family. More than 200 species of fish live throughout the Antarctic seas, many of them endemic. Colonies of Weddell and crabeater seals lounge on ice shelves or the rocky shores of the Antarctic Peninsula until ready to take to the sea to hunt for food. King, emperor, Adelie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins are also found here, spending most of their time swimming in the water. They come onto land for extended periods only when they need to lay their eggs and raise their young. Whales, such as the humpbacks, minkes, and rights, glide through the waters, diving deep to eat krill and then rising to the surface again for air.
The greatest threats to the ecoregion are overfishing, global warming, the weakening of the ozone layer, and pollution.
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