Life

Research Stations

Mammals

• Human:  No permanent residents; however 1,000 to 5,000 people work at research stations scattered across the continent. 
• Of 66 research stations, about half are occupied year-round.
• Majority of scientists and support staff live there in summers only (November - March/April).  Few stay through winters, because travel in and out is virtually impossible.
• Tourism started in the 1970s.  37,000 people are said to have visited during the 2009-2010 season.
• No land mammals. (Polar bears are in the Arctic.)
• Seals:  6 of the world's 30+species: Elephant (10-20 ft), Ross (5-7 ft), Crabeater (7 ft) Weddell (8-11 ft), Leopard (8-11 ft) and Fur (6 ft). 
• Whales: 
• 2 Toothed whales (with one blow hole): Orca (23-32 ft) and Sperm (50 ft, with largest mammal brain)
• 6 Baleen whales (combs instead of teeth, and two blow holes):  Blue (100 ft), Fin (up to 89 ft), Sei (60+ ft), Humpback (40-60 ft), Southern Right (45-49 ft) and Minke (22-26 ft).

Birds:  of nearly 10,000 species world-wide, Antarctica hosts about 35.  Cornell's ebird.com shows recent sightings, sortable by various periods.

• Albatross - 5 of world's 21 species live in Antartica
• Petrels & Shearwaters - 17 of world's 75 species
• Cormorants - 3 of world's 38 species
• Ducks, Geese, Swans - only 1 (yellow-billed pintail) of world's 131 species
• Gulls - only 1 (kelp gull) of world's 55 species
• Terns - only 2 (arctic & antarctic) of world's 44 species
• Penguins -  only 7 (Adelie, Chinstrap, Emperor, Gentoo, Macaroni, King and Rockhoppers) of the world's 17 species.

Insects:  Only one species known to live year-round in Antarctica:  Chironomid Midge (tiny fly).

Amphibians:  none known

Reptiles:  none known

Vegetation: where it occurs, is tundra.  (98% of the continent is covered in ice.)  Only two native vascular plants:  Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort, and approximately 300 types of moss and 150 types of lichen.

_____
Link to next blog post:  Ice, Precip, Seasons, Size