Antarctic ecosystems respond sensitively to changes in glacial dynamics, sea ice and ocean circulation, making them valuable indicators of past environmental change. Understanding these ecological responses requires reconstructing how climate, ocean conditions, and ice sheets have interacted over long timescales. In East Antarctica, geological archives from ice-free coastal areas provide key records of glacier retreat and landscape evolution. When combined, lacustrine, terrestrial, and marine sediment records, allow to link climate-driven environmental changes with palaeoecological responses in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Dr. Sonja Berg
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy
Geobiology
University of Cologne
sberg0@uni-koeln.de

Ocean temperatures do not always change steadily. They can also show bursts of unusual warmth or cold that strongly affect marine conditions. These extreme events are well studied in many parts of the world, but the Southern Ocean remains under-studied despite its close link to Antarctica’s sea ice. Using satellite-era records, these events can be mapped across years and regions to show where they are becoming more common or more intense, and how sea ice responds. This broader view helps highlight Southern Ocean areas where rapid change is most likely and supports better monitoring and planning as Antarctic sea ice continues to shift in a warming world.

Raven Quilestino-Olario
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy
Quaternary Geology
University of Cologne
raven.olario@smail.uni-koeln.de