The waters off the west coast of Antarctica has started to warm up over the past 50 years. The temperature has risen about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit, warmer than the average water temperature worldwide. It has reached the temperature of 34 degrees which is warm enough for king crab to survive. Normally the king crab live on the continental slopes and stays away from the continental shelf where the softer bodied organisms (sponges, sea anemones, sea lilies, and feather stars) live in the colder waters. The warming of the water will bring the king crabs to the continental shelf and will devastate the invertebrates.
This will be very tragic to lose these creatures of the sea. If the crabs do infiltrate the continental shelf that will decimate the Antarctic ecosystem. Due to global climate change the ecosystem is facing a tragic devastation when the king crabs invade.