Researchers have warned that without drastic and immediate action, Antarctica’s fragile environments “may well be subject to considerable stress and damage in future years and decades”.

The study, published in Frontiers in Environmental Science, reviewed evidence of extreme events in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, including weather, sea ice, ocean temperatures, glacier and ice shelf systems, and biodiversity on land and sea.

“Antarctic change has global implications,” said lead author Professor Martin Siegert, from the University of Exeter. “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero is our best hope of preserving Antarctica, and this must matter to every country – and individual – on the planet.”

He also warned that rapid changes in Antarctica could place many countries in breach of an international treaty. The Antarctic Treaty, which contains a pledge to preserve its fragile environment, includes signatories such as the UK, US, India and China...