Best videos of 2011: Mega-crabs take over Antarctic

Caitlin Stier, video intern

A clip of giant crabs traipsing across the Antarctic sea floor takes second place in our countdown.

These monstrous crabs are swarming an Antarctic abyss, endangering an ecosystem crafted by 14 million years of evolution. Millions of the crustaceans, with bodies over a metre wide, have infiltrated a hollow within the continental shelf after being displaced due to warming ocean waters. In this clip, you can watch them pillage the seabed's delicate sediments.

In 2008, researchers predicted that the crabs would invade the Antarctic within 100 years due to climate change. This submarine footage shows that the siege may already be underway.

For more about the invasion, read the original article: Giant red crabs invade the Antarctic abyss.

If you enjoyed this video, watch a snail devour a crab coated in mucus.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1b7b1c13/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cnstv0C20A120C0A10Cbest0Evideos0Eof0E20A110Egiant0Ecrabs0Ethreaten0Eantarctic0Eabyss0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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