Overview

Science and The Last Ocean Project

Two things will persuade CCAMLR and the Antarctic Treaty Powers that it is in all of our best interest to preserve an intact Ross Sea ecosystem: public pressure and sound science. The Antarctic Treaty was formulated to set aside the Antarctic, including the continent’s surrounding waters north to 60°S. The Treaty Powers set up CCAMLR to manage the biotic resources in those waters under the principles of both “wise use” and conservation. Conservation is an absolute, but “wise use” is based on what the public perceives as being in its best interest on the basis of its needs, science and ethics – in this case, the ethics of being custodian of Earth’s ecosystems and creatures.

The Ross Sea is one of the best known stretches of ocean within the Antarctic Treaty realm. It is site of the very first scientific knowledge that humans had about Antarctica and its surrounding waters, beginning with James Clark Ross’ expeditions in 1839-41, continuing through the heroic expeditions (Amundsen, Scott, Shackleton, Borchgrevinck etc), then the International Geophysical Year when permanent research bases were established, until now. More than 1000 scientific publications have been written about the Ross Sea’s ecology and biota, a number that does not include equivalent scientific activity addressing the Ross Sea’s meteorology (weather, climate), glaciology (sea ice, glaciers), oceanography (circulation, water characteristics), and the physiology of cold adaptation in its resident critters.

Despite this wealth of knowledge, many dozens of scientists, from several nations, are keen to continue to try to understand the workings of this area of ocean without interference from fishery extraction that would, without doubt, alter the system in a way that, for instance, would mask any changes that arise owing to the climate change now underway.