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Notes from the SCAR President, number 16 (30 October 2009)
Update on Various Items
Colleagues,
The year is passing quickly! It is difficult to believe it is already the end of October - which must be a reflection of how busy things have been this year! I know that for many of you the Antarctic field season is beginning to ramp-up and your time is better spent doing important tasks other than reading a note from me – so I will keep it short and update you on a few of the most important items.
The International Scientific Organizing Committee (ISOC) and local organizers have been busy planning for the 2010 SCAR meeting in Buenos Aires. A final menu of scientific topics has been agreed, and many session conveners have been contacted and have agreed to serve. I am pleased to report that the mix of conveners includes significant South American and early career scientist (thanks to APECS!) participation. We hope that within a few weeks the first circular will be issued and the Conference web site will be live. This will be a great opportunity for our southern hemisphere colleagues to showcase their exciting Antarctic research and programs. John Priscu (USA) and Carlota Escutia Dotti (Spain) have been doing a great job as co-Chairs of the ISOC, especially given their hectic schedules and other duties!
The Martha T. Muse Prize Selection Committee is making great progress and 26 excellent nominations were received for the inaugural prize. The committee is on track for the first Muse Prize winner to be announced at the Antarctic Treaty Summit in early December 2009 in Washington, DC.
An important meeting of the SCAR/IASC Bipolar Action Group (BiPAG) was conducted this month and has presented us with important recommendations on the role of Arctic science in SCAR and the role of SCAR in securing the IPY legacy. These are two important issues as we look to the future of SCAR. The report and its recommendations will be made widely available soon and will serve to focus discussion of these two issues at the strategic planning retreat.
SCAR leadership will gather in Cambridge, England on January 14 and 15, 2010 to develop a plan for SCAR's next phase of strategic planning. To repeat, this meeting it not to write the strategic plan but to agree on a process for wide inclusion and input from all SCAR stakeholders. If you have any ideas or suggestions about any aspects of strategic planning, please let me or the Secretariat know.
The Southern Ocean Observing System (Oceanography Expert Group) met in Venice, Italy. The latest version of the SOOS plan is available from the SOOS website. The agreed timeline is:
- November 15th: All comments from Ocean Expert Group and invited experts to be sent to Mike Sparrow;
- December 1st: Revised SOOS plan to go out to community for comment;
- February 1st: Deadline for community comment; and
- March 1st: plan finalized.
The Sloan Foundation has fully funded the synthesis stage of the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML), a major program of EBA (Evolution and Biodiversity in Antarctica), and will support the group until the end of 2010. This will mean a sizable management fee for SCAR in 2010 that is not reflected in the current budgets (good news!). Michael Stoddart and Victoria Wadley are to be congratulated on a job well done!
The Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (ACCE) report has been published and copies will be widely distributed. Colin has arranged for a major press conference at the end of November in London when the report will be officially made public.
I am sure there are many other items that deserve attention, but this is all for now.
To end, this month I was the guest of the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) and the China Arctic and Antarctic Administration (CAAA) [both organizations within the State Oceanic Administration (SOA)] in Bejing. I wanted to thank PRIC Director Dr. Huigen Yang and his staff for their hospitality and the very useful discussions. The Chinese National Antarctic Program is growing and expanding in exciting ways and SCAR welcomes the increased participation of China in its activities.
Chuck K.
President of SCAR
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