The overall aim of my PhD project is to understand how iconic Antarctic species such as penguins and seals have responded to past climate changes. I am using molecular methods to seek genetic signatures of past breeding refuges and understand how today's populations arose from those refugia. I am also using genetic data to understand migration and genetic diversity in present-day populations. From this knowledge we can predict the fate of these species under future climate change scenarios, their ability to adapt to new environmental conditions, and can assess the risk of local or widespread extinction.