Antarctica: Sea creatures 'hitchhiking' on ships could damage continent's fragile eco-system, scientists warn

Vessels from more than 1,500 ports visit Antarctica, potentially bringing with them mussels, crabs, barnacles and algae from around the world, threatening the isolated region's environment.

Sea creatures from around the world may be endangering the pristine eco-systems of Antarctica by hitchhiking there on ships, scientists have warned.

Mussels, crabs, barnacles and algae are of particular concern because they can easily latch on to vessels' hulls, researchers from the University of Cambridge and British Antarctic Survey have said.

Their study monitored ship-borne human activities such as research, fishing, tourism and supply and found that, despite the region's isolation, boats from 1,580 ports around the globe visit Antarctica.

All vessels potentially expose the protected region to invasive, non-native species that threaten the stability of its environment, scientists said.

'Biosecurity measures needed'

The species - including mussels, barnacles, crabs and algae - attach themselves to ships' hulls, in a process termed "biofouling" and could arrive in Antarctic waters from almost anywhere in the world.

Lead author Arlie McCarthy, a researcher in the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and British Antarctic Survey, said: "The species that grow on the hull of a ship are determined by where it has been.