Priorities for Antarctic research outlined

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) has convened 75 scientists and policymakers from 22 countries to agree on the priorities for Antarctic research for the next 20 years and beyond. This is the first time that the international Antarctic community has formulated a collective vision through discussions, debate and voting.

The SCAR Antarctic and Southern Ocean Science Horizon Scan narrowed a list of hundreds of scientific questions to the 80 most pressing ones. In an article published in the journal Nature, these questions are divided into six themes, representing the most important priorities to be addressed in the region:

• Define the global reach of the Antarctic atmosphere and Southern Ocean.
• Understand how, where and why ice sheets lose mass.
• Reveal Antarctica’s history.
• Learn how Antarctic life evolved and survived.
• Observe space and the Universe.
• Recognise and mitigate human influences.

Monash University Professor Steven Chown, one of the lead authors of the report, said the paper is timely as Australia is developing its 20-year strategic plan for Antarctica. The terms of reference for the plan include strategies for enhancing globally significant science and the influence Australia has on Antarctica.

“There are worrying signs about the long-term future of Australia’s science leadership in the region; for example, the number of science projects being supported by the Australian Antarctic Programme has declined from 142 in 1997-98 to just 62 in 2014,” he said.

“Declining support is hugely concerning, and this paper outlines that with a lack of support some Antarctic researchers choose to leave the field. This jeopardises the recruitment and retention of the next generation of researchers.”

Professor Chown said that in order to address the scientific areas outlined in the report, “researchers and governments must work together, and we must have greater international collaboration”.

“There also needs to be enhanced investment in science in the region, better environmental stewardship and more communication around the significance of the region to the public,” he said.

An improvement in environmental protection is particularly important, noted Professor Chown, “as more scientists visit the region and tourist numbers continue to increase”.

“Tourists value pristine, wilderness landscapes, while scientists rely on unaltered patterns of biodiversity to understand the evolution of life in the Antarctic.”

Professor Chown said Antarctic science is globally important and countries need to work together to address the issues facing the region.

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