3,182 research outputs found
Evaluation of non-native species policy development and implementation within the Antarctic Treaty area
Get PDFAntarctic non-native species legislation is contained within the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, with 2016 marking the 25th anniversary of its adoption. We take this opportunity to evaluate the Antarctic Treaty signatory Parties' collective development and implementation of non-native species policy. In general, scientific and policy outputs have increased in the past decade. However, data detailing Parties' current implementation of biosecurity practices are not readily available. Little widespread, internationally coordinated or systematic monitoring of non-native species establishment has occurred, but available data suggest that establishment of non-native micro-invertebrates may be greatly underestimated. Several recent small-scale plant eradications have been successful, although larger-scale eradications present a greater challenge due to seed bank formation. Invertebrate establishment within research station buildings presents an increasing problem, with mixed eradication success to date. The opportunity now exists to build on earlier successes, such as the ‘CEP Non-native Species Manual’, towards the development of a comprehensive response strategy based upon the principles of prevention, monitoring and response, and applicable to all Antarctic environments. To help facilitate this we identify areas requiring further research and policy development, such as to reduce anthropogenic transfer of indigenous Antarctic species between distinct biogeographic regions, avoid microbial contamination of pristine areas and limit introduction of non-native marine species. A response protocol is proposed for use following the discovery of a potential non-native species within the Antarctica Treaty area, which includes recommendations concerning Parties' initial response and any subsequent eradication or control measures
Protection of Antarctic microbial communities - 'out of sight, out of mind'
Get PDFRecent advances in molecular biology techniques have shown the presence of diverse microbial communities and endemic species in Antarctica. Endemic microbes may be a potential source of novel biotechnologically important compounds, including, for example, new antibiotics. Thus, the scientific and biotechnological value of Antarctic terrestrial microbial habitats can be compromised by human visitation to a greater extent than previously realized. The ever-increasing human footprint in Antarctica makes consideration of this topic more pressing, as the number of locations known to be pristine habitats, where increasingly sophisticated cutting-edge research techniques may be used to their full potential, declines. Examination of the Protected Areas system of the Antarctic Treaty shows that microbial habitats are generally poorly protected. No other continent on Earth is dominated to the same degree by microbial species, and real opportunities exist to develop new ways of conceptualising and implementing conservation of microbial biogeography on a continental scale. Here we highlight potential threats both to the conservation of terrestrial microbial ecosystems, and to future scientific research requiring their study
Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica
Get PDFTo date, Antarctica is the only continent to have escaped the COVID-19 pandemic. This was facilitated by the continent's isolation and low human presence, combined with the global emergence of the pandemic at the end of the Antarctic summer season and the rapid action of those national governmental operators and other actors still active on and around the continent during the early phases of the outbreak. Here, we consider the implications of the pandemic for Antarctic governance, national operator logistics, science, tourism and the fishing industry, as well as for Antarctic environmental protection. Global disruption will result in a temporary decrease in human activity in Antarctica, in turn leading to a reduction in environmental impacts for a period, but also a reduced capacity to respond to environmental incidents. Given the diversity of transmission routes and vectors, preventing the introduction of the virus will be difficult, even with stringent quarantine procedures in place, and the risks and implications of virus transmission to Antarctic wildlife are largely unknown. With control of the pandemic a major global challenge, international cooperation will be essential if Antarctica is to remain free of coronavirus
Debris Disks in the Scorpius-Centaurus OB Association Resolved by ALMA
Get PDFWe present a CO(2-1) and 1240 um continuum survey of 23 debris disks with
spectral types B9-G1, observed at an angular resolution of 0.5-1 arcsec with
the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). The sample was
selected for large infrared excess and age ~10 Myr, to characterize the
prevalence of molecular gas emission in young debris disks. We identify three
CO-rich debris disks, plus two additional tentative (3-sigma) CO detections.
Twenty disks were detected in the continuum at the >3-sigma level. For the 12
disks in the sample that are spatially resolved by our observations, we perform
an independent analysis of the interferometric continuum visibilities to
constrain the basic dust disk geometry, as well as a simultaneous analysis of
the visibilities and broad-band spectral energy distribution to constrain the
characteristic grain size and disk mass. The gas-rich debris disks exhibit
preferentially larger outer radii in their dust disks, and a higher prevalence
of characteristic grain sizes smaller than the blowout size. The gas-rich disks
do not exhibit preferentially larger dust masses, contrary to expectations for
a scenario in which a higher cometary destruction rate would be expected to
result in a larger mass of both CO and dust. The three debris disks in our
sample with strong CO detections are all around A stars: the conditions in
disks around intermediate-mass stars appear to be the most conducive to the
survival or formation of CO.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Assessing the effectiveness of specially protected areas for conservation of Antarctica's botanical diversity
Get PDFVegetation is sparsely distributed over Antarctica's ice-free ground, and distinct plant communities are present in each of the continent's 15 recently identified Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions (ACBRs). With rapidly increasing human activity in Antarctica, terrestrial plant communities are at risk of damage or destruction by trampling, overland transport and infrastructure construction, and the impacts of anthropogenically introduced species, as well as uncontrollable pressures such as fur seal activity and climate change. Under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, the conservation of plant communities can be enacted and facilitated through the designation of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs). In this study we examined the distribution within the 15 ACBRs of the 33 ASPAs whose explicit purpose includes protecting macroscopic terrestrial flora. Large omissions in the protection of Antarctic botanical diversity were found, with no protection of plant communities in six ACBRs and, in a further six, less than 0.4% of the ACBR area was included within an ASPA protecting vegetation. We completed the first normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) satellite remote sensing survey to provide baseline data on the extent of vegetation cover in all ASPAs designated for plant protection in Antarctica. Protected vegetation cover within the 33 ASPAs totalled 16.1 km2 for the entire Antarctic continent, with over half of this within a single protected area. Over 96% of the protected vegetation was contained within two ACBRs, which together contribute only 7.8% of the continent's ice-free ground. We conclude that Antarctic botanical diversity is clearly inadequately protected, and call for systematic designation of ASPAs protecting plant communities across by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, the members of the governing body of the continen
Biological invasions in terrestrial Antarctica: what is the current status and can we respond?
Get PDFUntil recently the Antarctic continent and Peninsula have been little impacted by non-native species, compared to other regions of the Earth. However, reports of species introductions are increasing as awareness of biological invasions as a major conservation threat, within the context of increased human activities and climate change scenarios, has grown within the Antarctic community. Given the recent increase in documented reports, here we provide an up-to-date inventory of known terrestrial non-native species introductions, including those subsequently removed since the 1990s, within the Antarctic Treaty area. This builds on earlier syntheses of records published in the mid-2000s, which focused largely on the sub-Antarctic islands, given the dearth of literature available at that time from the continental and maritime Antarctic regions. Reports of non-native species established in the natural environment (i.e. non-synanthropic) are mainly located within the Antarctic Peninsula region and Scotia Arc, with Deception Island, South Shetland Islands, the most impacted area. Non-native plants have generally been removed from sites of introduction, but no established invertebrates have yet been subject to any eradication attempt, despite a recent increase in reports. Legislation within the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty has not kept pace with environmental best practice, potentially presenting difficulties for the practical aspects of non-native species control and eradication. The success of any eradication attempt may be affected by management practices and the biology of the target species under polar conditions. Practical management action is only likely to succeed with greater co-operation and improved communication and engagement by nations and industries operating in the region
- …
