LIVINGSTON ISLAND, Antarctica, Feb 6, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A gunshot interruptsthe peaceful sleep of a leopard seal, lying nonchalantly on a small piece ofice floating in the shadow of an Antarctic glacier. Mojica, a Colombian marine biologist, descends from his boat alongsideLivingston Island, in the South Shetland archipelago, to retrieve his sample. Mojica is studying the impact of mercury, used in activities such as miningthousands of kilometers away, on Antarctica's large mammals. Later on his voyage -- a Colombian scientific expedition to Antarctica --Mojica finds himself surrounded by humpback whales. Mojica will study the samples to determine if "mercury has been transmittedfrom one link to the next in the food chain."

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha February 06, 2024 22:21 UTC