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University of Oregon

‘Antifreeze’ in Antarctic fishes keeps internal ice from melting

Fish that adapted to survive and thrive in icy cold Antarctic waters by developing antifreeze proteins are swimming in an evolutionary paradox, says a University of Oregon researcher.

These life-saving proteins in Antarctic notothenioid [pronounced “NO-toe-thin-ee-oid”] fishes also prevent ice crystals inside the fishes from melting in warmer summer waters, reports Paul Cziko [“SEE-ko”], a doctoral student in the UO Institute of Ecology and Evolution. He is the lead author on a paper in this week’s online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  Full story

NY Times article and video here:  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/23/science/antifreeze-proteins-keep-antarctic-fish-alive-and-icy.html