Teen+Science+Cafe+Expedition+Antarctica

On March 2nd, the Teen Science Cafe hosted Alex Rothburg, a curator of Ichthyology. An Ichthyologist is someone who studies fish and Alex had just returned from his expedition to Antarctica. He shared some stories of his trip and then talked about how climate change (global warming) has effected the ecosystem and the food chains. He also went over the different questions he researched during his trip and we played a game of bingo to understand the different terms he was talking about.

From this seminar I learned how climate change and global warming have a huge impact on food webs and ecosystems. Mr. Rothburg discussed how because of the drastic climate change, these animals are migrating in search for an environment that mimics their previous environment which in turn alters the food chains. This concept can also turn into a positive feedback loop when these aquatic fish migrate, those who feed on them will lose their food source and the temperature of the water will rise leading to a decline in another species and this cycle would keep on going.

This was a great event that highlighted the negative effects of global warming in Antarctica with stories from a Ichthyologist who actually researched in the area. Since global warming is an important issue currently, it was a great event that made more individuals aware of the effects of global warming.