Future challenges in southern ocean ecology research

• Published in: Frontiers in Marine Science
• Main Authors: Xavier, Jose C, Brandt, Angelika, Ropert‐Coudert, Yan, Badhe, Renuka, Gutt, Julian, Havermans, Charlotte, Jones, Christopher, Costa, Erli S., Lochte, Karin, Schloss, Irene R., Kennicutt, Mahlon C., Sutherland, William J
• Other Authors: British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Marine and environmental research centre - IMAR-CMA (Coimbra, Portugal), University of Coimbra Portugal (UC), Zoological Museum Hamburg, University of Hamburg, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE-IPHC), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), European Polar Board, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Protected Resources Division (Southwest Fisheries Science Center), NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul ((UERGS)), Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto Antártico Argentino, Department of Computer Science and Engineering Texas A&M University (CSE), Texas A&M University College Station
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: conservation; future research; Southern Ocean; policy making; ecology; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01335863; https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00094

International audience The Southern Ocean is experiencing relentless change. The Antarctic and Southern Ocean community, represented by 75 scientists and policy-makers from 22 countries, recently met to formulate a collective vision on the priorities for Antarctic research for the next two decades and beyond. Here, we assess high-interest research areas related specifically to Southern Ocean life and ecology that, although not all retained as the 80 top priorities among the addressed scientific domains, are of considerable relevance to the biology and ecology of the Southern Ocean. As certain regions of the Southern Ocean ecosystems have witnessed abiotic and biotic changes in the last decades (e.g., warming, climate variability, changes in sea ice, and abundance of marine organisms), such an exercise was urgently needed. We concluded that basic biological information on the taxonomy of numerous organisms is still lacking in areas, such as the deep-ocean floor or the under-ice environments. Furthermore, there is a need for knowledge about the response and resilience of Antarctic marine ecosystems to change. The continuation of a long-term commitment and the development and use of innovative technology to adequately monitor the Southern Ocean ecosystems is required. Highlighting the most important Southern Ocean research topics allow the identification of the challenges and future requirements in technological development, and both research and funding strategies for the various stakeholders.