( CNN ) -- From krill to king crabs , the collapse of a 160-square-mile portion of the Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica could mean many changes for wildlife at the bottom of the world . Krill may not be the most exotic of creatures , but climate change could affect them like any other animal . Most inhabitants of our planet will never get a firsthand look at a polar bear at the North Pole or a penguin at the South . But polar scientists already see changes in plants and animals from rapidly warming temperatures . `` Because of their extreme environments , they tend to be highly sensitive to temperature changes , '' said marine biologist James McClintock of the University of Alabama at Birmingham . `` Therefore , what we see happening in the poles should be taken as warning of what may be coming elsewhere , '' said McClintock , who studies the physiology and ecology of aquatic and marine invertebrates in Antarctica . Watch how the ice shelf is a sign of trouble » . According to the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center , in the past 50 years , the western Antarctic peninsula has undergone the biggest temperature increase on Earth : up .9 degree Fahrenheit , or .5 degree Celsius , in each of the past five decades . How the ice is disappearing » . Although krill may never be as majestic as whales or as adorable as penguins , these small shrimp-like crustaceans in the waters of the Antarctic are crucial to the region 's ecology . And they might be among the first in the animal kingdom to have to adapt to warming temperatures . Scientists already are observing declines in polar krill populations that could be tied to a decrease in annual winter sea ice . `` As babies , krill live under the sea ice and graze on microalgae . With a decline in sea ice , there is less habitat for young krill , '' McClintock said . But there may be a non-global-warming explanation for the decrease . Once heavily hunted , humpback whales that feed on krill have made a comeback in Antarctic waters . So it is also possible that more whales are simply eating more of these tiny crustaceans . Another warming ocean event that scientists are studying closely is the migration of king crabs . Marine remotely operated vehicles have captured photos of these giant crabs on the Antarctic Slope , where underwater land starts to rise up to the southernmost continent . It 's the first time in tens of millions of years that these predators have appeared that close to Antarctica . Crabs and other marine invertebrates die when the water is too cold , because they can not flush magnesium out of their systems . But even slightly warmer seawater allows the animal to regulate that element . McClintock says that if these new predators keep moving , they could wipe out other Antarctic species . Snails , brittle stars , sea spiders and some marine worms have evolved without armor and other protections they would need to survive alongside the king crab . Scientists studying Adelie penguins on Antarctica 's western peninsula see that species suffering major declines . Ironically , an increase in snowfall could be among the most dangerous `` warming '' effects for this animal . `` In Antarctica , as the air temperature warms up , the humidity rises and the ability of snowfall to occur increases , '' McClintock said . That snowfall can affect the mortality of penguin eggs . Another possible impact of climate change in the Antarctic is acidification . Seawater has long been known to be good at absorbing carbon dioxide . But one effect of that absorption is that it turns the ocean water more acidic . Organisms that make shells or have skeletons that are exposed to seawater , such as clams , snails and sea butterflies , could see their shells dissolve in water that is too acidic . Plants and animals that have survived and thrived in the brutal conditions of Antarctica for millions of years have had to make plenty of adjustments . `` Wildlife will be impacted , but they are pretty adept at dealing with a topsy-turvy world , '' said Ted Scambos , lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center . `` The ecosystem is pretty resilient , '' he said . Scambos first spotted the disintegration of the Wilkins Ice Shelf in February . He cautions that the poles will be the leading edge of what 's happening in the rest of the world as global warming continues . `` Even though they seem far away , changes in the polar regions could have an impact on both hemispheres with sea level rise and changes in climate patterns , '' he said . E-mail to a friend .
He says polar animals are incredibly sensitive to temperature changes . Also : ' ` ` can be taken as warning of what may be coming elsewhere '' The temperature in the western Arctic is up .9 degree Fahrenheit . Krill may be among the first animals to have to adapt to changing temperatures .