Monitoring of Environmental Impacts from Science and Operations in Antarctica Popular

Monitoring of Environmental Impacts from Science and Operations in Antarctica

A Report for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)

July 1996

Executive Summary

Monitoring is a fundamental element of environmental management and conservation.  It is clear that coordinated, standardized approaches to environmental monitoring are essential if temporal and regional trends in the quality of the Antarctic environment are to be effectively determined.  Sharing of experiences and findings from environmental monitoring amongst Antarctic operators is essential to maximize return from invested resources.  While a number of national programs have conducted localized assessments of the impact of human activities, there has been little coordination of methodologies, study designs, or data interpretations.  International coordination of monitoring activities will significantly contribute to the management of human activities in Antarctica.