The creatures probably most affected by the global warming are those living in the cold, nearly-freezing conditions of Antarctica and that’s because the frozen continent at the bottom of the Earth is warming up.

Although Antarctica has been regarded as the continent less affected by the rising temperature on the planet, the latest findings show that it isn’t exactly the case. Researchers thought Antarctica hasn’t shown a consistent warming in recent decades just because they did not have long-term, reliable temperature records on that continent. But the latest data from several weather stations, corroborated with satellite measurements led the researchers to the surprising (or not) conclusion:

Antarctica, the frozen continent, is warming up.

On average, Antarctica is warming and this is happening especially in winter and spring, said Eric Steig, geochemist at the University of Washington and author of the study published in the scientific journal Nature.

According to the latest findings, western Antarctica is now one degree Celsius warmer than in 1957. The entire continent is half a degree Celsius warmer than 50 years ago.

This warm up is giving numerous creatures living in the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean a hard time. The Antarctic sea spiders, limpets, the sea urchins, giant marine woodlice and sea lemons are now very vulnerable because they can only endure a very narrow temperature band. The waters of the Southern Ocean are roughly one degree Celsius warmer than 50 years ago.

For example, in warmer waters the clams and limpets can’t right themselves after landing upside down, a vital ability in the Antarctic environment.

"Will they be here in 100 years' time?" asked rhetorically Simon Morley, a marine biologist at the British Antarctic Survey at Rothera. The rise of temperature could cause several animals in the Antarctic waters to lose their vital functions and thus become extinct.

Another thing that will certainly have a major impact in the future of the frozen continent is the volcano discovered beneath the ice sheet of western Antarctica. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey found a layer of volcanic ash and glass shards frozen within an ice sheet, a clear sign of volcanic activity.