The Southern Ocean is one of the world s most productive marine ecosystems, home to huge numbers of penguins, seals, and bottom plants, and a major supplier of nutrients carried to other parts of the world by undersea currents. Little is known about the effect of UV-B on marine life, particularly the microscopic algae called phytoplankton that form the foundation of the undersea food chain. These tiny plants capture the sun s energy through photosynthesis, providing food for microscopic animals.

They are eaten by krill, which sustain the Antarctic s abundant seals, penguins, and baleen whales. Less phytoplankton means less food for these animals to eat. It is estimated that a 16 % ozone depletion could result in further losses in Phytoplankton, which would lead to a loss of about 7 million tons of fish per year. With the human food supply already strained due to demands of an ever-increasing population, small reductions resulting from UV damage may be disastrous to many people, especially the poor and indigenous people.

Researchers say it is clear that UV-B harms Antarctic microbes. Dr Patrick Neale, of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, has predicted that phytoplankton photosynthesis declines by as much as 8.5 per cent under the worst conditions.
(The Ozone Hole, 09/03/06)
http://www.theozonehole.com/consequences.htm