Environmental monitoring and management proposals for the Fildes Region, King George Island, Antarctica
The Antarctic terrestrial environment is under increasing pressure from human activities. The Fildes Region is characterized by high biodiversity, but is also a major logistic centre for the northern Antarctic Peninsula. Different interests, from scientific research, nature conservation, protection...
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Norwegian Polar Institute
2012
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v31i0.18206 https://doaj.org/article/d2feb39a2f924782ab1e2d949b873c50 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:d2feb39a2f924782ab1e2d949b873c50 2023-05-15T13:36:53+02:00 Environmental monitoring and management proposals for the Fildes Region, King George Island, Antarctica Christina Braun Osama Mustafa Anja Nordt Simone Pfeiffer Hans-Ulrich Peter 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v31i0.18206 https://doaj.org/article/d2feb39a2f924782ab1e2d949b873c50 EN eng Norwegian Polar Institute http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/18206/pdf_1 https://doaj.org/toc/0800-0395 https://doaj.org/toc/1751-8369 doi:10.3402/polar.v31i0.18206 0800-0395 1751-8369 https://doaj.org/article/d2feb39a2f924782ab1e2d949b873c50 Polar Research, Vol 31, Iss 0, Pp 1-18 (2012) human impact Antarctic Fildes Region environmental management Antarctic Specially Managed Area protected area Environmental sciences GE1-350 Oceanography GC1-1581 article 2012 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v31i0.18206 2022-12-31T11:56:11Z The Antarctic terrestrial environment is under increasing pressure from human activities. The Fildes Region is characterized by high biodiversity, but is also a major logistic centre for the northern Antarctic Peninsula. Different interests, from scientific research, nature conservation, protection of geological and historical values, station operations, transport logistics and tourism, regularly overlap in space and time. This has led to increasing conflict among the multiple uses of the region and breaches of the legal requirements for environmental protection that apply in the area. The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of human activities in the Fildes Region by monitoring the distribution of bird and seal breeding sites and recording human activities and their associated environmental impacts. Data from an initial monitoring period 2003–06 were compared with data from 2008–10. We observed similar or increased levels of air, land and ship traffic, but fewer violations of overflight limits near Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 150 Ardley Island. Open waste dumping and oil contamination are still major environmental impacts. Scientific and outdoor leisure activities undertaken by station personnel are more frequent than tourist activities and are likely to have a commensurate level of environmental impact. Despite the initial success of some existing management measures, it is essential that scientific and environmental values continue to be safeguarded, otherwise environmental impacts will increase and the habitat will be further degraded. We argue that the Fildes Region should be considered for designation as an Antarctic Specially Managed Area, a measure that has proven effective for environmental management of vulnerable areas of the Antarctic. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Ardley Island King George Island Polar Research Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula King George Island Fildes ENVELOPE(-58.817,-58.817,-62.217,-62.217) Ardley ENVELOPE(-58.953,-58.953,-62.201,-62.201) Ardley Island ENVELOPE(-58.933,-58.933,-62.213,-62.213) Polar Research 31 1 18206 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
human impact Antarctic Fildes Region environmental management Antarctic Specially Managed Area protected area Environmental sciences GE1-350 Oceanography GC1-1581 |
spellingShingle |
human impact Antarctic Fildes Region environmental management Antarctic Specially Managed Area protected area Environmental sciences GE1-350 Oceanography GC1-1581 Christina Braun Osama Mustafa Anja Nordt Simone Pfeiffer Hans-Ulrich Peter Environmental monitoring and management proposals for the Fildes Region, King George Island, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
human impact Antarctic Fildes Region environmental management Antarctic Specially Managed Area protected area Environmental sciences GE1-350 Oceanography GC1-1581 |
description |
The Antarctic terrestrial environment is under increasing pressure from human activities. The Fildes Region is characterized by high biodiversity, but is also a major logistic centre for the northern Antarctic Peninsula. Different interests, from scientific research, nature conservation, protection of geological and historical values, station operations, transport logistics and tourism, regularly overlap in space and time. This has led to increasing conflict among the multiple uses of the region and breaches of the legal requirements for environmental protection that apply in the area. The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of human activities in the Fildes Region by monitoring the distribution of bird and seal breeding sites and recording human activities and their associated environmental impacts. Data from an initial monitoring period 2003–06 were compared with data from 2008–10. We observed similar or increased levels of air, land and ship traffic, but fewer violations of overflight limits near Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 150 Ardley Island. Open waste dumping and oil contamination are still major environmental impacts. Scientific and outdoor leisure activities undertaken by station personnel are more frequent than tourist activities and are likely to have a commensurate level of environmental impact. Despite the initial success of some existing management measures, it is essential that scientific and environmental values continue to be safeguarded, otherwise environmental impacts will increase and the habitat will be further degraded. We argue that the Fildes Region should be considered for designation as an Antarctic Specially Managed Area, a measure that has proven effective for environmental management of vulnerable areas of the Antarctic. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Christina Braun Osama Mustafa Anja Nordt Simone Pfeiffer Hans-Ulrich Peter |
author_facet |
Christina Braun Osama Mustafa Anja Nordt Simone Pfeiffer Hans-Ulrich Peter |
author_sort |
Christina Braun |
title |
Environmental monitoring and management proposals for the Fildes Region, King George Island, Antarctica |
title_short |
Environmental monitoring and management proposals for the Fildes Region, King George Island, Antarctica |
title_full |
Environmental monitoring and management proposals for the Fildes Region, King George Island, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Environmental monitoring and management proposals for the Fildes Region, King George Island, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Environmental monitoring and management proposals for the Fildes Region, King George Island, Antarctica |
title_sort |
environmental monitoring and management proposals for the fildes region, king george island, antarctica |
publisher |
Norwegian Polar Institute |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v31i0.18206 https://doaj.org/article/d2feb39a2f924782ab1e2d949b873c50 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-58.817,-58.817,-62.217,-62.217) ENVELOPE(-58.953,-58.953,-62.201,-62.201) ENVELOPE(-58.933,-58.933,-62.213,-62.213) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula King George Island Fildes Ardley Ardley Island |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula King George Island Fildes Ardley Ardley Island |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Ardley Island King George Island Polar Research |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Ardley Island King George Island Polar Research |
op_source |
Polar Research, Vol 31, Iss 0, Pp 1-18 (2012) |
op_relation |
http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/18206/pdf_1 https://doaj.org/toc/0800-0395 https://doaj.org/toc/1751-8369 doi:10.3402/polar.v31i0.18206 0800-0395 1751-8369 https://doaj.org/article/d2feb39a2f924782ab1e2d949b873c50 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v31i0.18206 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
31 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
18206 |
_version_ |
1766085385880862720 |