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| Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre | |
|---|---|
| Name | Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre |
| Formation | 1991 |
| Dissolved | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Hobart, Tasmania |
| Leader title | Director |
Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre The Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre was an Australian research consortium focused on Antarctic and Southern Ocean science, combining climate, ecosystem and policy studies to inform Antarctic policy and marine management. It drew expertise from universities, government agencies and research institutions to support decision-making related to Antarctica, the Southern Ocean and Subantarctic islands.
The centre was established in 1991 under Australian research initiatives involving Australian Antarctic Division, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, University of Tasmania, Queen Victoria Research Foundation and state research bodies, arising from policy developments such as the Antarctic Treaty and meetings like the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Early projects intersected with programs led by CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Parks Australia and collaborations with international partners including British Antarctic Survey, SCAR, National Science Foundation (United States), Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Bureau of Meteorology. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the centre responded to global drivers exemplified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol, Convention on Biological Diversity and shifts in Antarctic governance tied to the Madrid Protocol and Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. The centre wound down in 2010, with legacy activities transferred to universities and agencies such as the University of Tasmania, Australian Antarctic Division and national collections including the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
The centre's mission aligned research priorities from partners including Australian National University, Monash University, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney and Macquarie University to deliver science for policy instruments such as Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources advice, Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting briefings, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora considerations and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments. Objectives emphasized Antarctic climate processes studied in conjunction with institutions like NIWA, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and ecosystem research supporting managers from Parks Australia and fisheries regulators referenced in Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Capacity building, outreach and training linked to programs at Australian Maritime College, CSIRO, Australian Academy of Science and international training under Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research formed part of the mandate.
Research programs integrated physical oceanography and climate research connected to Southern Ocean dynamics, Antarctic Circumpolar Current, East Antarctic Ice Sheet, West Antarctic Ice Sheet and interactions with atmospheric phenomena such as the Southern Annular Mode and El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Biological and ecological studies examined krill and trophic webs interacting with predators like Emperor penguin, Adélie penguin, Weddell seal and cetaceans including Blue whale and Minke whale, intersecting with fisheries science tied to Antarctic krill fishery management by CCAMLR. Biogeochemistry and palaeoclimate efforts leveraged cores and proxies linked to work at Law Dome, Vostok Station, Dome C and techniques developed at CSIRO and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Modeling and observational programs connected to international efforts such as World Climate Research Programme, Global Ocean Observing System, Argo floats and satellite missions like TOPEX/Poseidon, ERS-1 and ENVISAT.
The centre managed and accessed facilities in Hobart and on-field platforms including research vessels such as RV Aurora Australis and collaborations aboard RRS James Clark Ross and RV Polarstern, and used laboratories at Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute and Antarctic stations like Mawson Station, Casey Station and Davis Station run by Australian Antarctic Division. Instrumentation and infrastructure integrated technologies from partners including CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Bureau of Meteorology satellite receiving stations, autonomous platforms like SeaGlider and ice-cap coring systems used at Dome Fuji and Concordia Station under logistical coordination with Australian Antarctic Division and international operators.
The centre collaborated widely with agencies and universities such as Australian Antarctic Division, CSIRO, University of Tasmania, Monash University, University of Queensland, international research bodies including British Antarctic Survey, NIWA, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and treaty bodies like CCAMLR and Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. Collaborative outputs informed policy stakeholders including Australian Government departments and multilateral forums such as the United Nations Environment Programme, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional partnerships like Antarctic Science Collaboration. Training links extended to programs at Australian Maritime College, Australian National University and exchanges with Scott Polar Research Institute.
Funding came from Australian Commonwealth research grants, partner university contributions, and project grants tied to agencies such as Australian Research Council, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation contracts and competitive funding from national and international sources including National Science Foundation (United States), European Commission framework programs and philanthropic bodies historically engaged with polar research like the Antarctic Heritage Trust. Governance was overseen by a board comprising representatives from partner institutions including University of Tasmania, CSIRO, Australian Antarctic Division and major stakeholders such as state governments and research councils, aligned to reporting requirements linked to Australian Commonwealth accountability mechanisms and strategic science plans influenced by reports from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The centre contributed data, models and policy advice that influenced CCAMLR management measures, Antarctic Treaty deliberations, national Antarctic strategies and international assessments such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports; its legacy continued through research groups at Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, archived datasets in national collections like the Australian Antarctic Division data centre and trained researchers who moved to institutions including University of Tasmania, CSIRO and British Antarctic Survey. Outputs included improved understanding of Southern Ocean circulation, ice-sheet dynamics, krill ecology and ecosystem responses to climate variability, informing conservation outcomes recognized in arenas such as Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and regional environmental policy discussions. Category:Antarctic research organizations