Little is known about the effect of UV-B on marine life, particularly the microscopic algae called phytoplankton that form the foundation of the undersea food chain. These tiny plants capture the sun's energy through photosynthesis, providing food for microscopic animals. They are eaten by krill, which sustain the Antarctic's abundant seals, penguins, and baleen whales. Less phytoplankton means less food for these animals to eat. With the human food supply already strained due to demands of an ever-increasing population, small reductions resulting from UV damage may be disastrous to many people, especially the poor and indigenous people.
Researchers say it's clear that UV-B harms Antarctic microbes.
Dr Patrick Neale, of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, has predicted that phytoplankton photosynthesis declines by as much as 8.5 per cent under the worst conditions. It also damages the DNA of marine bacteria and the larvae of starfish and urchins, they say. And it even alters ocean chemistry, creating potentially dangerous substances in the water itself. These radicals are very reactive and can cause biological damage by oxidizing biological molecules. The burning goes deeper however, than sunburn, skin cancers, and cataracts.