But an international study led by the ANU has found aquatic vegetation is capable of crossing the Antarctic Polar Front carrying crustaceans, worms, snails and other sea weeds.

Dr Ceridwen Fraser from the university's Fenner School of Environment and Society said although these intruding species can't presently survive in the colder climate, with climate change and warming oceans, many non-Antarctic plants and animals could colonise the region.

And this would be disastrous for the ecosystem.

"Antarctic species are really specialised and they have adapted to Antarctic environments," said Dr Fraser. "Many of them are slow growing and the species that are used to warmer environments are better at competing. So they tend to out compete those specialised Antarctic species.

"We've already seen in the southern Antarctic that invasive species that get in can drastically change the ecosystem very quickly because the local plants and animals aren't used to competing with them."

Antarctica is protected by strict guidelines restricting visitors from bringing in foreign marine life to prevent the local ecosystem from being destroyed.

Rules in place prohibit ships emptying ballast tanks in surrounding water and scientists are not allowed to take larvae of marine animals in there.

However evidence collected on three separate ship voyages in 2008, 2013 and 2014 shows marine plants and animals can easily get into Antarctic waters on their own.

Dr Fraser said the risks associated with the drifting marine life was another worrying element to climate change.

"We're seeing faster and more intense warming than ever before or at least for millions of years," she said.

"If we want to continue to keep Antarctica as it is, then this represents a threat we hadn't really recognised before. But I imagine in a changing world it is going to be hard to keep anywhere as it was or as it has been."