Antarctica, the coldest and driest of all continents, appears to be a vast, icy wasteland, but a new study of Antarctic biodiversity has revealed that the continent is far richer in animals and plants than previously believed.

In a new study published in the journal Nature on June 24, Steven Chown, from the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University in Australia, and colleagues have found that the region's marine environment has over 8,000 species, which is more than first thought. Between 50 and 90 percent of these species are endemic including isopods, sea spiders and wandering albatross.

While there are only two species of flowering plants in the continent, researchers said that there are over 200 species of lichen and moss that cling to coastlines and patches of rocks. The highest diversity of viruses in the aquatic system also thrives in the region's subglacial lakes.

"Certainly you wouldn't see the same level of diversity as somewhere like the Daintree rainforest in Queensland, but if I was a microbiologist I'd say the Antarctic was home to an amazing diversity of organisms," Chown said.

The researchers also pointed out that although the region is teeming with life, the protection measures are weak given the increased threats posed by tourism, fishing and science programs. Chown, for instance, cited that people drive all-terrain vehicles through moss beds, oil spills are under reported and science stations dump their sewage.

"The impacts of local human activities and global environmental change nonetheless pose challenges to the current and future understanding of Antarctic biodiversity," the researchers reported in their study. "Life in the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean is surprisingly rich, and as much at risk from environmental change as it is elsewhere."

Only 1.5 percent of the land and less than 10 percent of the oceans around the continent likewise fall under special protection. Andrew Clarke, from the British Antarctic Survey, said that the Ross Sea, dubbed as the word's last ocean given its pristine condition, is a particular area of concern and thus needs comprehensive protection. A proposal to designate the Ross Sea as a marine reserve though has failed to be negotiated.

"This is one of the planet's last, relatively intact large marine ecosystems," Clarke said. "It is unusual in this respect and thus provides a suite of globally significant conservation benefits and scientific insights."