From: "Guy Guthridge" <answer4@passport.ivv.nasa.gov>
Subject: Re: Are there any animals that are becoming extinct in the Arctic or Antarctica because of the extreme cold?
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 13:31:30 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: onair@passport.ivv.nasa.gov <onair@passport.ivv.nasa.gov>
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 1998 1:18 PM
Subject: Are there any animals that are becoming extinct in the Arctic or
Antarctica because of the extreme cold?


>Stephanie C. asks this Question:
>
>Are there any animals that are becoming extinct in the Arctic or Antarctica
because of the extreme cold?
>
>
>Answer:
>
>In the Arctic the reason animals are there is that they have learned to
adapt to the cold environment.  The Arctic appears to be warming in recent
years, so ironically some cold-adapted species may find a need to migrate
farther north.  But we do not know of particular species that are dying out.

The Antarctic has remained cold for a very long time, and we are seeing some
cut back in marine primary biotic productivity because of the ozone hole,
but this is not expected to be an extinction.  Some species are growing in
number, particularly fur seals and some kinds of whales, because they are no
longer hunted there.

Thanks for your good question, Stephanie C., and for participating in Live
from the Poles.

Sincerely,

Guy G. Guthridge
National Science Foundation