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Ship traffic connects Antarctica's fragile coasts to worldwide ecosystems.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

McCarthy, Arlie H 
Peck, Lloyd S 
Aldridge, David C 

Abstract

Antarctica, an isolated and long considered pristine wilderness, is becoming increasingly exposed to the negative effects of ship-borne human activity, and especially the introduction of invasive species. Here, we provide a comprehensive quantitative analysis of ship movements into Antarctic waters and a spatially explicit assessment of introduction risk for nonnative marine species in all Antarctic waters. We show that vessels traverse Antarctica's isolating natural barriers, connecting it directly via an extensive network of ship activity to all global regions, especially South Atlantic and European ports. Ship visits are more than seven times higher to the Antarctic Peninsula (especially east of Anvers Island) and the South Shetland Islands than elsewhere around Antarctica, together accounting for 88% of visits to Southern Ocean ecoregions. Contrary to expectations, we show that while the five recognized "Antarctic Gateway cities" are important last ports of call, especially for research and tourism vessels, an additional 53 ports had vessels directly departing to Antarctica from 2014 to 2018. We identify ports outside Antarctica where biosecurity interventions could be most effectively implemented and the most vulnerable Antarctic locations where monitoring programs for high-risk invaders should be established.

Description

Keywords

anthropogenic impacts, biofouling, marine conservation, traffic networks

Journal Title

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0027-8424
1091-6490

Volume Title

119

Publisher

National Academy of Sciences
Sponsorship
RCUK | NERC | British Antarctic Survey (Core Funding)