King Crabs Invade Antarctica

[n2doc]

ScienceDaily (Apr. 26, 2011) — It's like a scene out of a sci-fi movie -- thousands, possibly millions, of king crabs are marching through icy, deep-sea waters and up the Antarctic slope.


"They are coming from the deep, somewhere between 6,000 to 9,000 feet down," said James McClintock, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham Endowed Professor of Polar and Marine Biology.

Shell-crushing crabs haven't been in Antarctica, Earth's southernmost continent, for hundreds or thousands, if not millions, of years, McClintock said. "They have trouble regulating magnesium ions in their body fluids and get kind of drunk at low temperatures."

But something has changed, and these crustaceans are poised to move by the droves up the slope and onto the shelf that surrounds Antarctica. McClintock and other marine researchers interested in the continent are sounding alarms because the vulnerable ecosystem could be wiped out, he said.

more

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419191022.htm


Seems like we could control their populations. King Crab is pretty yummy....

[FBaggins]

1. Happy to offer my assistance in this regard.

Send in the "Deadliest Catch" teams.

[xchrom]

2. now i want crab. nt

[FLPanhandle]

3. Lots of crab pots.

Feed some people and reduce the crab populations. Seems like an easy fix.

[ensho]

4. not good news - something has them moving

even if they find out what it is, they can't do anything about it but watch

[fredamae]

5. Yes, I agree.

Heat, earthquakes/movement, pressure changes, something deep and out of sight.

[GKirk]

6. Maybe BP is drilling

down there. :(

[patrice]

7. So does this mean that they're all "drunk"? nt

[cui bono]

12. Maybe they'll pass out before they ruin the ecosystem. n/t

[buddysmellgood]

8. It's that alien spacecraft awakening in the deep.

[damntexdem]

9. Oh no! A regal pubic lice infestation of Antarctica!

No? ;-)

[patrice]

13. ROFL!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:hi: Thanks! :hi:

[truebrit71]

10. Let's send the Deadliest Catch boys there to help out...

..I too am partial to King Crab...

[opihimoimoi]

11. Where is the TIME BANDIT when ya need them???