FAIRHOPE — On Oct. 7, a polar explorer and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham spoke at the Fairhope Public Library on how climate change being studied in Antarctica impacts the Alabama coastline and Mobile Bay.

"31 trips to Antarctica, and I'm still married," UAB Professor of Polar and Marine Biology, James McClintock, said.

McClintock talked about his experiences in Antarctica and some of the scientific observations that point to a rapid change in the climate, such as an unnatural increase in carbon dioxide, decreasing/increasing animal populations and unusually warmer temperatures in the water surrounding the continent.

"You might be saying to yourself, 'But communities always change,' and that's true," McClintock said, "but what's so different right now is the rate of change. It's happening so fast. Some of these species just can't make it quick enough to adapt to these changes."

McClintock said that some of the changes in Antarctica can be seen thousands of miles away, across the State of Alabama. He said that this is because of the "great ocean conveyer belt" that is fueled by the warming water that is currently circling the Antarctic.

In reference to what it looks like in this part of the world, McClintock said, "We're having more of what I'd call extreme heat days."

He spoke of one Alabama football game recently that took place in the heat of August where the medical team ran out of gurneys because of how many people with heat-related problems were being carried out of the stadium.

McClintock said the increasing warmth in the Gulf of Mexico is being used to "generate stronger hurricanes" every year.

Another issue McClintock brought up that can be seen along the Alabama coast is sea level rise.

He said the glaciers melting in Antarctica do not contribute to this and compared it to a glass of ice water. When the ice melts, the water level is still the same.

However, he said that what is contributing to sea level rise is when the ice melts from the land of Antarctica. This would be like placing a large piece of ice on top of a glass of water. As the ice melts, it will eventually fall into the water, increasing the amount in the glass.

McClintock said that Mobile Bay "is uniquely vulnerable" to the effects of sea level rise because of how shallow the bay is. Adding "just a little bit of water" can have "a big effect." He showed pictures of a house in Dauphin Island that was only accessible during a low tide because of how much flooding it now endures.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) data on water levels, Dauphin Island is seeing a sea level trend of 4.41 millimeters a year, which is "equivalent to a change of 1.45 feet" over the course of 100 years.

The sea level trends documented by NOAA are color coded in rainbow-like colors to show the level of increasing or decreasing water levels with the color red symbolizing an increase above 9 mm and purple symbolizing a decrease below 9 mm. Dauphin Island is currently categorized as a yellow increase.

So, what is happening in Antarctica to cause these effects?

"I didn't realize that I was moving to a region of the planet that is warming so rapidly," McClintock said of when he first visited the Palmer Station on the Antarctic peninsula. "I really wasn't focused on it."

He told a story of how when he first saw a large chunk of a glacier fall into the ocean as it "was a big deal" and several people gathered to watch the then-rare phenomenon.

"When I was at Palmer Station two years ago on my last trip, my most recent trip," McClintock said, "this was happening two-three times a day."

As mentioned earlier, McClintock reassured the audience that the glacial ice melting into the surrounding water does not contribute to sea level rise. He said that it does, however, create a slippery (and melting) slope where there once was an ice shelf barrier between the ice sheets buried deep inland and the warm water.

This is why scientists are concerned about the melting glaciers, McClintock said. The "glacier is a cork" in this scenario.

McClintock also emphasized how the local animal populations were being affected by climate change. He mentioned humpback whales, elephant seals, fur seals, gentoo penguins and chinstrap penguins. All of which are seeing an increase in population numbers and a regional extension of animal communities.

This can be seen as a good thing, McClintock said, but a lot of the species such as the gentoo and chinstrap penguins are being found in areas where "historically they haven't" been seen.

"They're extending their range because it's getting warmer," McClintock said.

Weddell seals, leopard seals and Adelie penguins, according to McClintock, are some examples of species that could be threatened or are currently disappearing due to the melting ice.

These species are considered "sea ice dependent" meaning they use the floating sea ice as sources for survival. The seals use these sea ice islands to birth their pups in a safe place from predators and the Adelie penguins find their food sources from these floating icy islands.

McClintock said the increasing water temperatures will lead to less sea ice. He said the Adelie penguins have already seen a decline in numbers and he believes the two sea ice dependent seals will also eventually be impacted.

Another reason McClintock gave for why the Adelie population was decreasing was due to the air getting warmer and increasing humidity levels, which "ironically" causes it to snow more and later in the year than it used to.

"So, you have these penguins that are genetically programmed to lay their eggs at a certain time," McClintock said. "They show up, lay their eggs and then a snowstorm shows up and buries the eggs."

When the snow melts, most of the eggs don't survive. McClintock said there could be entire generations of Adelie penguins lost if the snowstorms become more frequent.

So, what can be done to slow this change? Is there anything that can be done on a local level?

After McClintock spoke the room was open for questions.

One attendee asked, "is there anything that we as high schoolers can do to change the impact of climate change in our environment?"

McClintock said, "Yes. Form a high school sustainability group, team or club. That would be wonderful."

He also mentioned how anyone can recycle and take steps that reduce one's carbon footprint such as reducing food and fashion waste, insulating your house, being mindful of energy use and raising awareness of climate change effects.

In McClintock's book, "Lost Antarctica," he states, "Climate change is real. I have seen it with my eyes. Over the past decade, I've lectured broadly to public audiences on the ecological impacts of climate change, and I have witnessed a change in the public perception of this phenomenon."

McClintock said "ultimately I'm hopeful" about the action that can be taken against climate change in Antarctica. He referred to the progress made with the hole in the ozone, which is no longer growing and is expected to be restored "by mid-century instead of at the end of the century."

The companies that used the chemicals didn't all shut down, McClintock said. Rather, they adapted. They started using different chemicals that didn't destroy the ozone layer after global efforts were taken to decrease the release of environmentally dangerous chemicals.

Why allow the environment to change when something can be done as individuals and companies to better tackle the warming conditions?