Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica
Abstract To 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...
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2020
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s095410202000053x https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S095410202000053X |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s095410202000053x 2024-09-15T17:48:07+00:00 Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica Hughes, Kevin A. Convey, Peter 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s095410202000053x https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S095410202000053X en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Antarctic Science volume 32, issue 6, page 426-439 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 journal-article 2020 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s095410202000053x 2024-07-17T04:03:44Z Abstract To 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica Cambridge University Press Antarctic Science 32 6 426 439 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
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English |
description |
Abstract To 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. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hughes, Kevin A. Convey, Peter |
spellingShingle |
Hughes, Kevin A. Convey, Peter Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica |
author_facet |
Hughes, Kevin A. Convey, Peter |
author_sort |
Hughes, Kevin A. |
title |
Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica |
title_short |
Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica |
title_full |
Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica |
title_sort |
implications of the covid-19 pandemic for antarctica |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s095410202000053x https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S095410202000053X |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica |
op_source |
Antarctic Science volume 32, issue 6, page 426-439 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s095410202000053x |
container_title |
Antarctic Science |
container_volume |
32 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
426 |
op_container_end_page |
439 |
_version_ |
1810289248744505344 |