The cold ocean waters are rich in nutrients and produce an immense amount of phytoplankton, which supports large populations of krill, fishes, birds, seals, and other animals. In the U.S. program, some 600 investigators perform approximately 125 research projects per year. The National Science Foundation selects most of these research teams from U.S. universities, although some come from federal agencies and other organizations. Glaciologists study the nature and the dynamics of the world's largest ice sheet. Surveys and reconnaissance of the biota and habitats were largely completed in the late 1960s, and experimental and ecological studies have been emphasized since.
Major attention is on the structure and function of marine ecosystems.
Emphasis also is placed on studies of adaptations, particularly to low temperatures. Although geological maps have been prepared of many Antarctic areas, geological reconnaissance of the continent is not yet complete. Research to date has provided an outline of the region's geology and geophysics as well as major clues in support of plate tectonics, and hypothesized Gondwana supercontinent. This research has pointed to the resource potential of Antarctica, but it is not intended to identify or quantify deposits of resources. Unique studies of the earth's magnetosphere and of sun-earth relationships are possible in Antarctica because of its physically stable location at high geomagnetic latitude.