
Satellite imagery has documented rapid Antarctic sea‑ice loss and a major shift from krill to salps in parts of the Southern Ocean, with strong ecosystem consequences. The new analysis showing a 'shock' decline driven by ocean heat breaking through strengthens the physical explanation for these biological changes. Together, the findings indicate a faster, more abrupt reworking of the marine food web that threatens krill‑dependent penguins, seals and whales and could alter fisheries and carbon cycling.
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