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The climate of Antarctica does not allow for much vegetation to exist. A combination of freezing temperatures, [[soil]] quality, lack of moisture and sunlight limit the chances for plants to exist. As a result, plant life is limited to mostly mosses and liverworts. The autotrophic community is made up of mostly [[protist]]s. The [[flora]] of the continent largely consists of [[lichen]]s, [[bryophyte]]s, [[algae]], and [[fungi]]. Growth generally occurs in the summer and only for a few weeks, at most.
There are more than 200 species of lichens and approximately 50 species of bryophytes, such as mosses. Seven hundred species of algae exist, most of which are [[phytoplankton]]. Multicolored [[snow algae]] and [[diatoms]] are especially abundant in the coastal regions during the summer. There are two species of flowering plants found in the Antarctic Peninsula: [[Antarctic hair grass]] and [[Antarctic pearlwort]]
===Fauna===
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Land [[fauna (animals)|fauna]] is completely [[invertebrate]]. Such invertebrate life includes [[microscopic]] [[mite]]s, [[lice]], and [[springtail]]s. The [[midge]], just 12 [[millimeter|mm]] in size, is the largest land animal in Antarctica (other than man). The [[snow petrel]] is only one of three birds that breed exclusively in Antarctica and have been seen at the [[South Pole]].
A variety of marine animals exist, and they feed on the phytoplankton. Antarctic sea life includes [[penguin]]s, [[blue whales]], and [[fur seal]]s. More specifically, the [[Emperor penguin]] is the only penguin that breeds during the winter in Antarctica. The [[Rockhopper penguin]] has distinctive feathers around the eyes; one could call them elaborate eyelashes. [[King penguin]]s are also predominant in the Antarctic. The [[Antarctic fur seal]] was very heavily hunted in the 18th and 19th centuries for its pelt by sealers from the United States and the United Kingdom. Antarctic krill, which congregate in large [[swarm|school]]s, is the [[keystone species]] of the [[ecosystem]] of the [[Southern Ocean]], and is an important food organism for whales, seals, [[leopard seal]]s, fur seals, [[squid]], [[icefish]], penguins, [[albatross]]es and many other birds.
The approval of the [[Antarctic Conservation Act]] brought several restrictions to the continent. The introduction of alien plants or animals can bring a criminal penalty, as can the extraction of any indigenous species. The overfishing of krill, which plays a large role in the Antarctic ecosystem, led officials to enact regulations on fishing. The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), a treaty enacted in 1980, requires that regulations managing all Southern Ocean fisheries consider potential effects on the entire Antarctic ecosystem. <ref name="cia" /> Despite these new acts, unregulated and illegal fishing, particularly of [[Patagonian toothfish]], remains a serious problem. Particularly, the illegal fishing of toothfish has been increasing with estimates of 32,000 tonnes in 2000. <ref>BBC News. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1492380.stm Toothfish at risk from illegal catches]. Retrieved February 11, 2006.</ref> <ref>Australian Antarctic Division. [http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=1539 Toothfish]. Retrieved February 11, 2006.</ref>▼
▲The approval of the [[Antarctic Conservation Act]] brought several restrictions to the continent. The introduction of alien plants or animals can bring a criminal penalty, as can the extraction of any indigenous species. The overfishing of krill, which plays a large role in the Antarctic ecosystem, led officials to enact regulations on fishing. The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), a treaty enacted in 1980, requires that regulations managing all Southern Ocean fisheries consider potential effects on the entire Antarctic ecosystem.
* [http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/fguide/index.html Underwater Field Guide to Ross Island & McMurdo Sound, Antarctica]
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