Shadowed beneath South Georgia’s rugged mountains and glacial valleys lay a rich and colourful seascape of plants and animals. This shallow marine environment has received surprisingly little attention since it was first studied during the Discovery Expeditions in 1925.

As South Georgia is situated just south of the Polar Front, where warmer waters from the north meet colder Antarctic water from the south, the region is home to a unique assemblage of South Atlantic and Antarctic animals.

The diverse marine fauna and flora of South Georgia is under threat from climate change and introduced species. Water temperatures have increased by 1-2 degrees Celsius in the last 80 years and visiting vessels may carry non-native species from more temperate waters on their hulls, in their ballast water, or attached to marine structures.

In the past such non-native species would be unlikely to survive in the cold waters, but rising temperatures increase the probability of survival. If non-native species survive and thrive they are likely to do so at the expense of the natural flora and fauna.

In November 2010 the Shallow Marine Surveys Group (SMSG) undertook a dive survey of the shallow bays of the north coast of South Georgia to investigate the shallow marine biodiversity and provide a baseline for future climate change monitoring. As part of this work photographs were taken of most of the species encountered. A selection of these images has been beautifully transformed into watercolour by Leigh-Anne Wolfaardt for reproduction as stamps.

Source: Falkland Post

published March 7th, 2012