Who is protecting antarctica

Adopt an animal today and help protect some of our most endangered wildlife and support other vital work around our planet. We need your help to give rangers the strength and safety they need, and to tackle poaching and demand for products like ivory.

Join us and you can help stop the illegal wildlife trade and tackle other threats facing our natural world. The massive frozen landmass around the South Pole is a challenging but fascinating place. The huge frozen landmass at the bottom of our planet is more than just spectacular icing on the globe. It could be vital for our survival too. The nutrient-rich waters encourage blooms of tiny plankton, the basis of the ocean food chain.

It is vast, remote, otherworldly and beautiful beyond imagination. But it is also fragile and vulnerable to the worst effects of climate change and fishing. Climate change is having a visible and potentially irreversible impact on marine life and biodiversity. Scientists are now raising the alarm because, over the last 30 years, Antarctica has warmed by 1.

As a consequence, sea ice is rapidly declining. In , the Belgica expedition explored the marine biodiversity of the West Antarctic Peninsula. The goal was to establish a detailed understanding of living species in that area, an area particularly exposed to global warming. Bruno Danis , a marine biologist and professor at the Free University of Brussels, was the head of that mission, which collected more than organic and mineral samples.

Scientists are currently analysing them in order to create a specific database. Danis tells us that changes in the Antarctic Peninsula are visible, "particularly in the land environment".

Data from Poncet et al. Decline in the population In South Georgia, the population as a whole declined by 1. Estimates of the number of pairs of wandering albatross breeding in a single season at South Georgia in and Why are albatrosses threatened? What is being done to halt the decline of albatrosses? Methods of Conservation Streamer lines Streamer lines are ropes with brightly coloured plastic streamers attached.

Weighting lines This method involves the attachment of heavy weights that pull the fishing lines down deeper into the water quickly. Night fishing By fishing at night, less albatross may be caught on the lines as they normally forage in the daytime. Keeping offal on board Research by the British Antarctic Survey has shown that albatrosses spend a large amount of time following fishing vessels which increases their likelihood of being caught in the long lines.

Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels. Student activities Activity 1: characteristics The wandering albatross is threatened in Antarctica mainly due to human impacts.

Look back at the albatross fact file, and determine which three characteristics of the birds make long term survival of the species even more challenging? Explain your answer. Activity 2: conservation map Give reasons why a map would be useful in the conservation and management of the Southern Ocean. What do you think should be displayed on the map? Activity 3: population trends Look back at the graph of wandering albatross population trend and the table of wandering albatross breeding pairs at South Georgia.

Comment on the trends. Activity 4: methods of conservation In your opinion, which methods of conservation are more is likely to reverse the decline in albatross numbers? What do you think are the biggest challenges in ensuring these methods work?

Activity 6: campaigning Imagine you work for a leading conservation group and are very concerned about the number of albatrosses which die each year in fisheries. Use the links to help you: BAS: Albatrosses. Cool Antarctica: Endangered Antarctic animals. Birdlife International: Save the Albatross. Birdlife International: Global Seabird Programme pdf. It puts in place environmental principles to guide all activities in Antarctica, prohibits mining and mineral exploration and includes annexes relating to:.

Why live in Antarctica? How many people? Protecting Antarctica Video transcript Australian Antarctic Division Senior Environmental Policy Officer Ewan McIvor Since the Treaty was signed in there was increasing recognition amongst the parties of the need to establish measures to protect the Antarctic environment. It puts in place environmental principles to guide all activities in Antarctica, prohibits mining and mineral exploration and includes annexes relating to: environmental impact assessment conservation of fauna and flora waste disposal and waste management prevention of marine pollution area protection and management liability arising from environmental emergencies.