A new publication, “Antarctic Biology: Scale Matters”, has been published by the open access scientific journal Frontiers. The special issue highlights the outcomes of 20 papers presented during the SCAR 12th Biology Symposium held in Leuven, Belgium, in July 2017. The papers have been divided into three categories and focus on our current understanding, recent developments, and future challenges that should be addressed by the Antarctic biological research community.
The Research Topic offered the 137 participating authors of the SCAR Biology Symposium the opportunity to publish their research. The main theme of the Symposium was “Scale matters.”
The rationale of the Symposium can be summarized as: Biological processes and diversity span all levels, from the small molecular scale, through population and up to large ecosystem scale; understanding these processes, as well as past and present patterns of biodiversity, are essential for understanding possible threats to Antarctic biology and their impacts. The publication focuses on understanding biological distribution and trends, as well as adaptation and processes, both in marine and terrestrial realms, and including human biology. Special attention is paid to multidisciplinary research and how combining insights from different fields can help understand this unique region.
An important aspect of this collection focuses on the societal impact of Antarctic biological sciences and how this can be communicated, not only to the general public, but also to policy makers.
The e-book can be viewed and downloaded here.