Paper short abstract:

Much has been written about human entanglements in the Arctic but far less about multispecies icescapes and cultures of Antarctica. This paper challenges conventional human-centred narratives to consider what a more than human history of Antarctica’s sea ice can teach us in the climate crisis.

Paper long abstract:

Much has been written about the history of human relationships with glaciers, sea ice and the many species that inhabit the Arctic region, but there has been curiously little focus on telling the stories of the rich multispecies landscapes and cultures of Antarctica’s sea ice. This vast, dynamic icescape of the Southern Ocean hosts an extraordinary seasonal gathering of migratory whales, seals and penguins as they gorge themselves on a smorgasbord of Antarctic krill. Yet the seasonal heartbeat of freeze and thaw has been faltering as the Southern Ocean warms, with diabolical implications for the creatures that depend on it for survival and for the planet as a whole. In this paper I challenge the conventional human-centred narratives of Antarctic exploration and exploitation by delving into the entangled stories of ice, ocean, humans and other species as they have encountered the sea ice and each other over time. I aim to bring this little-known, three-dimensional icy world into greater focus and ask what insights a nuanced, more than human history of Antarctica’s sea ice can offer us as we confront the environmental transformations taking place in the south polar region in the climate crisis.