Name: __________________________ Class: _____________________ Date: _____________________
BBC Life in the Freezer
Part 1 – The Bountiful Sea
The Sea
1. How much of the world’s fresh water is frozen in Antarctica?
2. How thick are the glaciers that have accumulated in Antarctica?
3. The largest of all the glaciers is the Lambert. How long is it?
4. What are icebergs, and where do they come from?
5. What process creates the different shapes and patterns found in icebergs?
6. How much of the iceberg is actually above the surface?
7. How does the seasonal shift in sea ice affect Antarctica’s size?
Krill and Whales
8. Describe how Antarctic animals are completely reliant on the sea.
9. Where is most of the life found during the winter season?
10. Define keystone species. Would this term apply to krill?
Biology Teaching Resources http://www.aurumscience.com Page 1
11. Describe the method used by humpback whales to collect krill.
12. How do the whales adjust their hunting technique when the krill are dispersed?
13. Which season is the krill the most abundant in the southern seas?
Sea Birds
14. Which of these symbiotic relationships best fits the humpback whales and sea birds?
a. Mutualism
b. Commensalism
c. Parasitism
15. Why are the krill (and seabirds that prey on them) mostly found in patches on the sea?
16. Why are sea birds so much more likely to be scavengers than birds on land?
17. How are albatross able to fly for such long distances without landing?
18. Albatross chicks grow very large in spite of the Antarctic having such a short summer. How?
King Penguins
19. The chicks of King Penguins congregate in huge crèches. How are the parents able to recognize and
find their own offspring?
20. The adult and chick King Penguins are all at different stages. For example, ome of the adults are raising
their young, while others are actively courting for a mate. Why aren’t they synchronized?
21. What kind of independence have the king Penguins achieved that most Antarctic animals have not?
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