Ross Sea Marine Protected Area

Ross Sea Marine Protected Area
Name	Ross Sea Marine Protected Area
IUCN category	Ia/II
Location	Ross Sea, Southern Ocean
Coordinates	72°0′S 177°0′W
Area	1,550,000 km²
Established	2016
Governing body	Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

Ross Sea Marine Protected Area is a large Antarctic marine protected area in the Ross Sea region of the Southern Ocean established to conserve unique marine biodiversity and support scientific research. The area encompasses extensive ice shelves, seafloor habitats, and pelagic zones adjacent to Antarctic Peninsula-linked ecosystems, aiming to protect species, habitats, and ecosystem processes. It represents a landmark multilateral achievement involving states, scientific organizations, and conservation bodies.

Overview

The Ross Sea Marine Protected Area was adopted by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in 2016 after negotiations among members including United States, New Zealand, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, Chile, France, United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Argentina, and South Africa. The MPA balances conservation priorities with regulated activity by parties to the Antarctic Treaty System and related instruments such as the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Prominent stakeholders include scientific institutions like the National Science Foundation, the Scott Polar Research Institute, and nongovernmental organizations such as World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace. International bodies involved in ancillary roles include the United Nations and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

Geography and boundaries

The MPA covers approximately 1.55 million square kilometers in the Ross Sea between the Ross Ice Shelf and open ocean, bounded by coordinates agreed under CCAMLR recommendation. It includes regions adjacent to McMurdo Sound, Ross Island, Victoria Land, Marie Byrd Land and the continental shelf and slope. Bathymetric features include the Ross Sea continental shelf, abyssal plains, seamounts, and submarine channels which influence currents such as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and polynyas like the Ross Sea Polynya. Nearby research stations and logistic hubs include McMurdo Station, Scott Base, Italian Zucchelli Station, and Japanese Showa Station, which provide platforms for marine and ice studies.

Ecological significance

The area supports globally significant populations of Antarctic krill, toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni), Adélie penguin, emperor penguin, Weddell seal, leopard seal, and baleen whales including blue whale and minke whale. Benthos includes sponge fields, bryozoans, and cold-water corals similar to those studied in Ross Sea benthic communities by expeditions like the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition and research programs from institutions such as the Alfred Wegener Institute and the British Antarctic Survey. The MPA protects feeding, breeding, and nursery grounds and preserves trophic interactions involving apex predators documented by researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory. The area’s productivity is influenced by upwelling, sea-ice dynamics, and the Southern Ocean carbon sink, which has implications for global climate regulation studied by teams at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Conservation and management

Management objectives prioritize preservation of biodiversity, maintenance of ecological processes, and facilitation of scientific research. Zoning within the MPA includes no-take zones, seasonal restrictions, and areas allowing limited fisheries in accordance with CCAMLR rules negotiated by delegations from states such as Chile and Japan and informed by advice from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and CCAMLR’s Scientific Committee. Enforcement and compliance rely on flag state responsibilities under instruments like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea alongside regional cooperation involving New Zealand, Australia, and other Southern Hemisphere navies and coast guards. Conservation groups including BirdLife International and the IUCN have tracked implementation progress and advocated for strong monitoring and adaptive management.

Legal framework and governance

The MPA is governed under the framework of the Antarctic Treaty System, primarily through CCAMLR, which was established by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and integrates with the Madrid Protocol (Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty). Decision-making required consensus among CCAMLR members such as Russia, China, United Kingdom, United States, France, Argentina, and Norway. Legal instruments affecting activities include CCAMLR conservation measures, Environmental Impact Assessment procedures under the Madrid Protocol, and international maritime law under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Compliance mechanisms involve national implementation by parties like the United States Department of State, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and enforcement agencies.

Scientific research and monitoring

The MPA supports long-term monitoring by multidisciplinary teams from institutions including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Tasmania, U.S. Antarctic Program, Australian Antarctic Division, and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Research topics include population dynamics of Antarctic toothfish, climate-driven changes in sea ice studied by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency, ocean acidification monitored by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and benthic ecology surveyed using platforms like remotely operated vehicles from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Data-sharing and open science are promoted through initiatives like the Global Ocean Observing System and the Polar Data Centre. Citizen science and NGO-supported expeditions, exemplified by projects with World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International, contribute auxiliary observations.

History of designation and international negotiations

Negotiations for the MPA spanned over a decade, with early proposals by New Zealand and United States influenced by conservation campaigns from Greenpeace and scientific recommendations from SCAR and CCAMLR’s Scientific Committee. Key diplomatic milestones included CCAMLR meetings where delegations from Russia, China, South Africa, Japan, Argentina, and Chile debated zoning, fishing exclusions, and scientific uses. The 2016 adoption reflected compromises on boundaries, temporal provisions, and monitoring obligations, and followed precedents set by prior Antarctic protected areas like the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf MPA and national marine reserves of Australia. Post-adoption, implementation actions involved national legislation and bilateral cooperation for surveillance and research, with ongoing reviews by CCAMLR and scientific assessments by organizations such as the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-linked studies on polar systems.

Category:Antarctic protected areas Category:Marine protected areas Category:Ross Sea