Quite simply, climate change is going to turn the coasts of Antarctica green again, for the first time in millions of years. While flowering plants are still hindered by the ice, simpler species are already beginning the process. The vanguard is made up of snow algae. This is exactly what it sounds like — a type of algae that grows on the snow itself, staining it green. Snow algae blooms can be just as extensive as algal blooms in the ocean, and the largest can also be seen from space. Researchers expect that as Antarctica warms, these blooms will become larger and more extensive, as well as growing at higher altitudes.

At the same time, Antarctica is experiencing record low levels of ice. In 2023, Antarctica had the lowest levels of sea ice ever recorded, and the highest temperature anomaly of anywhere on the planet. As ice continues to recede, researchers worry that proliferating plants will impact biodiversity, as ecosystems fall out of balance and a few species start to outcompete the others.

As snow algae flourish, more complex plants do too. Antarctic mosses have been slowly but steadily spreading. While plants still only grow on a tiny fraction of Antarctic land, that's likely to increase dramatically and contribute further to the changing climate. And as the mosses continue to grow, so too do the flowers, ever more rapidly.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunB9k2traWhkZLWww4yco6KlkZyybq%2FHmqWgnV2pwrO6yKeeZpmeqa6zr9Oimppll6eyprqO