Climate-Driven Mobilization of Rare Earth Elements and Metals in Antarctica: Pathways, Ecological Exposure, and Implications for Trophic Transfer

Climate change is reshaping contaminant pathways in Antarctica by mobilizing rare earth elements (REEs) and heavy metals from the cryosphere into marine ecosystems. Thaw-driven changes in salinity, pH, stratification, and primary productivity modify contaminant behaviour and bioavailability. The ice-algae interface is hypothesized to concentrate these elements; for heavy metals this pathway is empirically supported, while for REEs it remains to be directly measured in krill Krill are the fundamental species of the food web in the Southern Ocean. Krill are well established as biovectors for metals and may represent an important pathway for future transfer of emerging contaminants, including REEs, although direct empirical evidence in Antarctic krill remains absent. Krill are established biovectors for metals and may represent a plausible exposure pathway for emerging contaminants, including REEs, although direct field measurements of REEs in Antarctic krill remain unavailable. Current evidence reveals substantial knowledge gaps in Antarctic contaminant research, particularly because mercury remains the only contaminant with comparatively coherent Southern Ocean datasets, whereas REE-specific field measurements in Antarctic krill remain entirely absent. This evidence gap continues to limit quantitative assessment of climate-driven contaminant mobilisation, ecological exposure pathways, and food-web transfer in Antarctic marine ecosystems. The lack of baseline data and long-term datasets necessitates advanced ultra-trace analytical approaches and sustained monitoring frameworks to enable comprehensive quantitative risk assessment and the detection of climate-driven trends in contaminant dynamics. Antarctica’s protected status under the Antarctic Treaty System highlights the critical need for enhanced international cooperation and integrated governance frameworks to address REE and metal concerns in a rapidly warming Southern Ocean.