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The Ross Sea:  A Refuge for Marine Life and for Science

The Ross Sea is one of the last remaining stretches of ocean on Earth that has not been harmed by human activity.  It is yet to be damaged extensively by overfishing, pollution or invasive species.  The world now has a rare opportunity to protect the Ross Sea from a growing number of threats by declaring it a Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Why should we protect the Ross Sea?
The Ross Sea has incredible biological diversity and a long history of human exploration and scientific research. Marine life is as abundant now as it was thousands of years ago. It is important that it be protected from activities that would disrupt the last refuge for open-ocean marine life and scientific research to better understand how marine systems were before human exploitation.  View a report on the scientific basis for the uniqueness of the Ross Sea.  

Why is the Ross Sea ecologically unique?                  
The Ross Sea provides a habitat for a diverse array of benthic and mid-water species, but most importantly, unlike all other portions of the world ocean, its top predators are still abundant.  Its whale, seal and fish populations have yet to be extensively exploited and their numbers are high.  Furthermore, although the Ross Sea encompasses less than 13% of the circumference of Antarctica, and just 3.3% of the area of the Southern Ocean, it provides habitat for significant populations of many animals, including 38% of the world’s Adélie penguins, 26% of Emperor penguins, more than 30% of Antarctic petrels, 6% of Antarctic minke whales, and perhaps more than 30% of “Ross Sea” killer whales. Moreover, it has therichest diversity of fishes in the high latitude Southern Ocean, including seven species found nowhere else, with an evolutionary radiation equivalent to the Galapagos, the African rift lakes, and Lake Baikal, all designated as World Heritage Sites for their exemplary fauna. Any alteration of the food web or degradation of habitat will have the same damaging effects that have been documented elsewhere on Earth, such as toxic algal blooms, oxygen-deprived dead zones and jellyfish invasions. The Ross Sea is also considered the most productive area in the entire Southern Ocean.  Many species therefore depend upon it for food.
                                   

Why is the Ross Sea so important to scientists?  The Ross Sea has the longest history of scientific research in the Southern Ocean.  This means that scientists have data beginning 170 years ago, and continuous records going back over 50 years.  Having reliable data for long periods of time helps scientists to draw more accurate conclusions and better understand environmental and ecological changes, particularly in the field of climate research.

Why is the Ross Sea ecologically unique?                   The Ross Sea provides a habitat for a diverse array of benthic and mid-water species, but most importantly, unlike all other portions of the world ocean, its top predators are still abundant.  Its whale, seal and fish populations have yet to be extensively exploited and their numbers are high.  Furthermore, although the Ross Sea encompasses less than 13% of the circumference of Antarctica, and just 3.3% of the area of the Southern Ocean, it provides habitat for significant populations of many animals, including 38% of the world’s Adélie penguins, 26% of Emperor penguins, more than 30% of Antarctic petrels, 6% of Antarctic minke whales, and perhaps more than 30% of “Ross Sea” killer whales. Moreover, it has therichest diversity of fishes in the high latitude Southern Ocean, including seven species found nowhere else, with an evolutionary radiation equivalent to the Galapagos, the African rift lakes, and Lake Baikal, all designated as World Heritage Sites for their exemplary fauna. Any alteration of the food web or degradation of habitat will have the same damaging effects that have been documented elsewhere on Earth, such as toxic algal blooms, oxygen-deprived dead zones and jellyfish invasions. The Ross Sea is also considered the most productive area in the entire Southern Ocean.  Many species therefore depend upon it for food. What is a Marine Protected Area?  How would such a designation benefit the Ross Sea? The term Marine Protected Area (MPA) has many definitions, but essentially means that a particular region has restrictions placed on its use.  These restrictions may entail limitations on fishing, tourism, or resource extraction.  The level of restrictions varies greatly among MPAs.  When properly managed, however, MPAs can be highly beneficial, allowing areas damaged by overfishing or pollution the chance to return to a more natural state.  Occasionally, MPAs are created preemptively to ensure that marine regions with high biodiversity or ecological value remain at least partially undisturbed. Most MPAs, however, are designated only after all the fish are gone. Given its pristine nature, the Ross Sea's ecological and scientific importance makes it an excellent candidate for MPA designation. In 2003, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced plans to designate 20 to 30% of critical ocean habitats as MPAs by 2012.  The Ross Sea is a critical part of the Antarctic ecosystem, and should be included in these representative MPA networks.  Increased fish extraction in the Ross Sea would damage ecosystems and disrupt vital biological and climatological research. It is time to designate the Ross Sea an MPA before industrial fishing has depleted fish stocks and caused environmental damage as it has in the rest of the world’s oceans.  The industrial fishing has begun and will continue to expand unless an MPA is created. Check out a poster from ASOC and WDCS on the rationale for the Ross Sea.