pdf SCAR EXCOM 2019 Paper 10: Report from Ant-ICON PPG

SCAR Executive Committee Meeting
30-31 July, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

SCAR EXCOM 2019 Paper 10: Report from Ant-ICON PPG

Integrated Science to Inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation (Ant-ICON) - Draft Science and Implementation Plan

Agenda Item: 5
Person Responsible: Aleks Terauds and Mercedes Santos

Summary

Antarctica and Southern Ocean environments are facing increasing pressure from multiple threats. The Antarctic Treaty system is increasing looking to SCAR for the provision of independent and objective advice to make informed decisions. The SCAR Scientific Research Programme (SRP) – Ant-ICON – will foster, facilitate and coordinate high-quality transdisciplinary research to support conservation and management of Antarctica, the Southern Ocean and the sub-Antarctic in the context of current and future change impacts. The outputs of this research will address some of the most pressing environmental challenges facing Antarctica, and support decision-making, policy response and development and effective environmental management. The initial core membership of Ant-ICON includes 45 members from 17 countries, representing the biological sciences, physical sciences, earth sciences, humanities, social sciences and a range of other Antarctic stakeholders – including policy makers and environmental managers. The proposed Chief Officers of the SRP will be finalised at a meeting of the PPG in 2019. While there is a strong biological focus, Ant-ICON will integrate research from multiple disciplines and fields of study to build on and complement existing SCAR activities.

The SRP will focus on three research themes and one synthesis theme:

R1 – Current state and future projections of Antarctic systems, species and functions

R2 – Sustainability and impact mitigation of human activities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean

R3 – Socio-ecological approaches to Antarctic and Southern Ocean conservation

S1 – Science synthesis for decision-making and policy development

The three research themes each have sub-themes to prioritize targeted research. Outputs from the research themes will inform and guide the sub-themes and deliverables of the Science synthesis for decision-making theme.