Case-In-Point Analysis
(Name Here)
SCI/362
February 19, 2012
Michael Eslinger, Ph.D.

Case-In-Point Analysis
Global warming and food web declines in Antarctica are affecting more than most would have thought. The krill population plays a major role in the cycle of life for many mammals in this area but also for migratory mammals. This paper will expose food web declination in relation to global warming as well as what could have prevented it. This paper will also expose current projects to assist in rectifying the damage done.
Icy, frozen, and barren Antarctica seems like the last place humans could affect any food webs on this continent. Impossible as it seems, humans have created an unnatural ebb and tide. Beginning with the large-scale whaling in Antarctica that started in 1904, the overexploitation of whaling projects devastated the whale population in the area. Because whales are the primary krill-eating mammals, reducing their numbers increased the krill population. However, by increasing the krill population and reducing the whale population, other krill-eating mammals increased their numbers creating an unnatural ecosystem.
Global climate change has also affected this Hoth like continent. The thinning the ozone layer has brought concerns that the ultraviolet rays are damaging the algae in the area. According to Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl, “Increased ultraviolet radiation is penetrating the surface waters around Antarctica, and algal productivity has declined, probably as a result of increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation,” (pg. 59). There is also warming in the area. This is warming the waters and reducing the ice pack required for algae. Algae are the primary food source for the krill that feed so many other species in the area. Scientists have demonstrated the fewer algae in the area means fewer krill can reproduce; this in turn means a decline in the food supply for the animals that rely on it such as penguins and fur seals.
To make matters worse, commercial fisherman are harvesting krill to feed for farmed fish, produce nutritional supplements, and make other commercial products (Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, n.d.). Because mammals that rely on krill cannot compete with the commercial fishing population this is increasing the risk of population reduction in these mammals. As the population of fur seals and penguins declines, the reproduction rates of whales are affected. Because of the warmer water temperatures in the Antarctic region, some whales have started moving north, offsetting the migration patterns and food supplies in that area.
The scientific method separates the search of unbiased knowledge from faith-based values and circular judgment by requiring scientific hypotheses be testable and subject to impartial proof. The scientific method is straightforward. Formulate a hypothesis, make predictions, and identify facts or results that objectively would disprove the hypothesis. The scientific method was why western civilization came out of the dark ages. However, years later, regarding global warming the scientific method is sacrificed on the altar of climate clairvoyance.
If the scientific method was used for the issue of global warming, people would not need to rely on climate guesses and false predictions. Dr. Roy Spencer compared the NASA satellite figures that measure the amount of heat escaping the earth’s atmosphere into space to the volume of heat loss projected by computer-generated models trusted by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (Spencer, Braswell, 2011). Dr. Spencer discovered the NASA satellite numbers exposed even more heat is discharging into the universe than IPCC computers originally expected. If the true process of scientific method was used on the IPCC models, scientist would have discovered the IPCC models were based on inaccurate estimates and global warming was occurring at a much faster pace (Spencer, Braswell, 2011).
According to National Geographic, “Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) today, the Earth would still warm by another degree Fahrenheit or so. But what we do from today forward makes a big difference,” (para. 2). Although many governments and agencies are working to reduce GHGs, improvements need to include increases in solar, wind, hydrogen, and nuclear power, with a focus on sustaining natural gas, and biofuels. Along with decreasing the emissions we release to the atmosphere, we can also improve our GHGs by increasing the amount of gases we remove from the atmosphere. This would involve plating trees to absorb CO2 and improving the way we farm to increase the amount of carbon we are collecting.
Until we can reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and reduce global warming, there are small things we can do to assist marine animals in the Antarctic region so they do not become extinct. Because krill are the main diet in baleen whales, it will be important to protect their food source. The United States preventatively has prohibited krill fishing off the Pacific Coast even before there were any commercial fisheries established. This will help sustain the whales as they migrate north, missing their southern migration patterns because of the warmer waters. “If the largest animals on earth are to survive, the largest reduction possible in the emission of greenhouse gases has to occur soon. If not, whales as well as many other members of the marine ecosystem will disappear, posing a threat to the lives of countless other marine species, which are also a part of this balanced food chain,” (Climate Institute, 2007-2010, para. 14).

References
Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.asoc.org/issues-and-advocacy/krill-conservation
Climate Institute. (2007-2010l). Retrieved from http://www.climate.org/topics/ecosystems/whales-endangered-climate-change.html
Cool Antarctica. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/whales/whaling1.htm
National Geographic. (1996-2013). Retrieved from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-solutions/
Raven, P.H., Berg, L.R., & Hassenzahl, D.M. (2010). Environment (7th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.
Spencer, R.W., & Braswell, W.D. (2011, July). On the Misdiagnosis of Surface Temperature Feedbacks from Variations in Earth’s Radiant Energy Balance. Remote Sensing, 3(8), 1603-1613.