Antarctic marine conservation park talks break down
November 2, 2019
An international effort to create enormous marine sanctuaries around Antarctica has failed for the eighth year in a row. The project aimed to counter climate change and protect fragile ecosystems.
Image: picture-alliance/WILDLIFE/S. Muller
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The annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), a group of 25 nations and the European Union, struggled to get support from China and Russia, and talks over marine sanctuaries broke down.
The two major world powers have consistently blocked the scheme since Australia and the EU first suggested it in 2010. They scaled the proposals back in 2017 in an effort to get China and Russia on board.
"With a growing loss of biodiversity and threats from climate change, it's disheartening that CCAMLR has failed to protect east Antarctic waters for the eighth consecutive year," said Andrea Kavanagh, director of Antarctic and Southern Ocean work at The Pew Charitable Trusts.
"Scientists have been clear that marine protection areas are needed to make a warming and acidifying ocean more resilient," she added.
The marine parks would have covered around 3 million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles). The area is home to penguins, seals, toothfish and whales, among others.
The marine parks were "the subject of much discussion" at the talks, but no agreements were made. Officials said that they will make the proposals again next year.
Fascinating Antarctica: Icy facts about the most southern region in the world
Antarctica is more than just snow and ice. The most southern point of our earth breaks a lot of records. Cosy up for an expedition to the South Pole.
Image: Tim Heitland
99 percent ice
Antarctica is the largest desert in the world, covering an area of 13,829,430 square kilometres (533, 957 square miles) — about 1.3 times the size of Europe. Even in the Antarctic summer, from December to February, 99 percent of Antarctica is covered with ice, some of it up to 5000 meters thick.
Image: NASA/Dave Pape
Continent of extremes
Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth, with the lowest temperature measured reading -98.6 degrees Celsius (-145,48 degrees Fahrenheit). But that's not all: as it never rains or snows, the continent is also the driest and windiest in the world, with wind speeds reaching in excess of 250 kmph (155 mph).
No sense of time
Antarctica comprises the continent and the southern polar sea. The Antarctic Polar Front forms the boundary, where the northern extension of the Southern Ocean separates the cold surface water in the south from the warmer water in the north. Antarctica is located on all longitudes and extends over all time zones. Most research stations operate on the time in their home country.
Image: Tim Heitland
Temporary residents
The Antarctic population is made up of the international research teams. In summer about 4000 scientists live on the continent, and during the harsh Antarctic winter only about 1000. There are 80 research stations that they can stay in, which are currently operated by almost 30 countries. Pictured is the German Neumayer Station III of the Alfred Wegener Institute.
Image: Tim Heitland
Real locals
With a length of just seven millimetres, these little guys are considered to be the largest land animals permanently living in Antarctica: the Antartic midge (Belgica antarctica). The development of the larva into an adult takes about two years. Most of the time, the larvae are frozen in the ice – real survivors!
Image: Reuters
Oh, hi!
Finally: no, contrary to some fictional depictions, there are no polar bears in the Antarctic – they live in the Arctic Circle at the other end of the Earth. But there are penguins in Antarctica. However, only four of the 17 known penguin species are native to Antarctica. This small emperor penguin is just one of them.
