SCAR EXCOM 2019 Paper 4: Report from AntEco SRP Popular

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

SCAR EXCOM 2019 Paper 4: Report from AntEco SRP

State of the Antarctic Ecosystem (AntEco), 2018-19 Report

Agenda Item: 4
Person Responsible: Huw Griffiths & Jan Strugnell

Report Authors: Jan Strugnell (Australia) & Huw Griffiths (UK), Steering Committee

Summary

AntEco has been active in several initiatives since the last report to Delegates – i) the SCAR OSC 2018 in Davos, Switzerland, ii) planning finalization activities and iii) the Marine Ecosystem Assessment of the Southern Ocean. AntEco continues to coordinate research in line with the objectives of the implementation plan and disseminate the findings through scientific publications and outreach.

AntEco is now firmly focused on the upcoming conclusion of the programme with a significant proportion of the 2019 budget this year being dedicated to workshops and meetings that will produce legacy products for the programme. For Davos SCAR OSC 2018 in we ensured that the majority of our 2018 budget was spent on travel support for participants (with particular attention to less well-represented SCAR member nations and early career researchers). Our 2020 activities will once again mostly revolve around the SCAR OSC in Hobart and facilitating the attendance of the meeting by ECRs and developing Antarctic nations.

AntEco has also had several new significant contributions to the Antarctic Environments Portal on important topics (marine plastics, marine biodiversity, pathways for the introduction of terrestrial non-native species, non-native microbial introductions, specially protected and managed areas in Antarctica (updated) and the status of known non-native species introductions and impacts (updated)).