Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Expert Group on Human Biology and Medicine Group concluded it would operate more effectively if it amalgamated

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

http://www.nioo.knaw.nl/projects/scarlsssg/


Expert Group on Human Biology and Medicine

• Group concluded it would operate more effectively if it amalgamated with MEDINET (COMNAP) (recommendation)

• Development of Human Biology and Medical Research involvement during IPY (recommendation)

• Collaborative research of medics and bios:

•Microbial flora of seal mouths•Transmission of Lyme disease by Ixodes

ticks in birds•Do human viruses affect indigenous animals


Expert Group on Seals

• Document produced for delisting Fur Seals

• APIS report delayed. LSSSG requested CO-EGS to do all that is required to ensure that the outcomes of the APIS programme, and especially population data on Antarctic seal species, are made available as soon as possible.


Expert Group on Birds• Guidelines on aircraft approach distances

adopted by COMNAP• ratification of ACAP (Agreement for the

Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels) (recommendation)

• identify Antarctic IBAs (Discussion with SC-ATS)• produce assessment of the status of Southern

Giant Petrels (for CEP 2005)• detrimental effects of flipper bands on

penguins, reports now indicating adverse effects (recommendation)

• initial discussions on the need for marine ecosystem reference areas in the Southern Ocean (SCAR-CCAMLR-CEP)


Progress report on the EASIZ programme

Final Symposium27 Sept. to 1 Oct. 2004Korčula, Croatia


Progress report on the EVOLANTA programme

Proceedings of the workshop on

Adaptive Evolution of

Antarctic Marine Organisms

(Siena, It.) were published in

Antarctic Science vol 16, no.1 (2004)


Progress report on the RiSCC programme

Field work highlights:NL, GB, G: Peninsula Transect (Falklands,

Signy I., Anchorage I., Mars Oasis)I, NZ, US, SA: Latitudinal Gradient Project

(Victoria Land)F, AUS, SA, B, NL: Four-Islands Project

(Marion I., Kerguelen A., Crozet A., Heard I.)



RiSCC related activities have now produced over 100 papers

Recent highlights include: Frenot, Y. et al. (2004) Biological invasions in the

Antarctic: extent, impacts and implications. Biological Reviews (in press)

Huiskes, A.H.L. et al. (2004) Stable isotope ratios as a tool for assessing changes in carbon and nutrient sources in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems Plant Ecology (in press)

Robinson, S.A. et al. (2003) Living on the edge - plants and global change in continental and maritime Antarctica. Global Change Biology 9 1681-1717

Walther, G.-R. et al. (2002) Ecological responses to recent climate change. Nature 416:389-395



• Vth RiSCC workshop in Varese (I, 2003)

Results: 1. Volume of Terra Antarctica

Reports 2. Draft Code of Conduct

(recommendation) • VIth RiSCC workshop in

Paimpont(F, 2004)

Result: Life acros the Frigid Biome: Biogeographical patterns in the Antarctic Region draft for Science(?)


Special Research ProgrammeEvolution and Biodiversity

in the AntarcticCollaboration of Marine, Terrestrial, and

Limnetic Biologists

Describe the past, understand the present,

predict the future.

(recommendation)

More about EBA under item 5.3 of the agenda


Evolution and Biodiversity in Antarctica

Within EBA:

AG for the Circum-Antarctic Census of Marine

Life(recommendation)

Comprises also SCAR-MarBIN


Special Research Programme Subglacial Antarctic Lake

Exploration• The LSSSG endorses and strongly

supports the SALE SRP (recommendation)


Special Research Programme Antarctic Climate Evolution

LSSSG urges EBA SPG and ACE SPG to explore the apparent connections in the mutual objectives of the programmes


Specially Protected and Managed Area plans

LSSSG elected four members to assist the SC-ATS

in the assessment and adoption of ASPAs and ASMAs:

E. Fanta, BrazilJ. Valencia, Chile

E. Woehler, AustraliaL.G. Sancho, Spain


Action Group on Biological Monitoring

• Membership increased: AEON, E. Fanta (liaison CCAMLR).

• Open workshop at College Station (TX, USA), 16-03-2005 – 18-03-2005, outcome: working paper for ATCM, Stockholm.

• Establish connection with ICG-CEP


Antarctic Conservation in 21st Century

Workshop in March 2005

Plenary discussion on the workshop report during SCAR IXth Biology Symposium, Curitiba, Brazil


IXth SCAR Biology Symposium

http://www.parques-curitiba.com/jardim-botanico-ecologia.htm


IPY activities

• Circum-Antarctic Census of Marine Life• Biodiversity of remote areas (in

combination with traverse by glac./clim.)

• Arctic-Antarctic research (with ITEX?/ Northern RiSCC)

• Quantifying human-carried propagules• Programme on human biology and

medical research


Strategic Plan for SCAR

LSSSG meeting was very supportive.2 Concerns:Is there financial room to support

5 major research programmes?Why are the financial implications of

a renewed agreement with SCORand SO-GLOBEC put on the budgetof the LSSSG?


Open Science Conference

• LSSSG positive despite earlier reservations

• Include one session with few keynote speakers on a hot topic followed by lots of discussion


Office Bearers

• A. Huiskes (Netherlands), Chief Officer succeeded S. Chown (South-Africa)

• K. Conlan (Canada), Secretary succeeded A. Huiskes

• L. Palinkas (United States of America), Deputy Chief Officer

• Position of second Deputy Chief Officerlapsed

Documents

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Expert Group on Human Biology and Medicine Group concluded it would operate more effectively if it amalgamated