It is now clearly appearing that deep modifications impact the Earth climate system and that these changes are –at
least in part- linked to anthropogenic activities (IPCC, 2103). As such, there is a widely accepted urgent need for
studying (1) the processes that are involved in these changes (2) their environmental impacts, to accurately predict
future changes and their associated consequences.

Polar regions are amongst the most sensitive to climate change. In the Arctic, average annual temperatures have
increased by 2-3°C since the middle of the last century. In the Antarctic however, impacts of climate change remain
rather contrasted. In the western part of the continent, large impacts are already visible with for example, a
spectacular rise in atmospheric temperatures. This rise contributes to the accelerated melting rated of the local
glaciers, the collapse of ice caps and the dramatic reduction of sea ice cover. Profound impacts on the local
ecosystems have also been reported with important changes in primary productivity and the decline in krill and
penguin populations.