Many of the Antarctic's smallest inhabitants have evolved over millions of years so their body fluids are similar in chemical composition to that of sea water.
However, a combination of melting glaciers, increased rain and extreme weather events means that waters in some of the remotest parts of the planet are increasingly being exposed to a reduction in salt levels.
Scientists refer to this phenomenon as freshening, and a new study has highlighted the impact this could have on species living in the shallow coastal waters off Antarctica.
It has led researchers to warn that continued coastal freshening may pose a significant threat to many marine invertebrates living in the region, but that it could also change the nature of the global ocean.
The research was conducted by scientists at the University of Plymouth and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), and builds on previous work by the organisations to assess the impact of changing ocean conditions on some of the planet's smallest, but most important, inhabitants.
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"> Professor John Spicer, Professor of Marine Zoology at the University of Plymouth and the study's lead author, has spent almost 40 years examining the effect of climate change on marine organisms.
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