Daily Junction.mobi portal<p>Antarctic microbes may not attract the same public attention as penguins, seals or whales but they represent some of the continent’s most distinctive biodiversity. They also <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/data/our-data/publication/antarctic-microbial-diversity-the-basis-of-polar-ecosystem-processes/">drive key ecosystem processes</a> that those popular animals depend upon. Therefore changes in microbial biodiversity may have consequences that extend far beyond the microbes themselves.</p>
<p>Protecting this largely unseen biodiversity from climate change and increasing human activities is essential if we are to preserve both its ecological value and its future potential.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/294180/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caray-a-walker-1045560">Caray A Walker</a>, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melody-clark-2771172">Melody Clark</a>, Individual Merit Promotion Scientist, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/british-antarctic-survey-1181">British Antarctic Survey</a></em></span></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/microbes-at-the-end-of-the-earth-antarcticas-hidden-biodiversity-294180">original article</a>.</p> </div>