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Initiated by the SCAR scientific research programme “Antarctic Thresholds – Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation” (AnT-ERA, 2013-2021), 26 experts synthesized knowledge on impacts and risks of climate-change on biological processes and ecosystem functions in the Antarctic. The ten main scientific messages that emerged addressed (1) accelerating marine and terrestrial biogeochemical cycles, (2) response to ocean acidification, (3) ecological changes in climate change hot spots, (4) unexpected dynamism of marine seafloor communities, (5) biodiversity shifts, (6) low temperature limitation of protein synthesis, (7) life intrinsically linked to changing sea ice conditions, (8) pollution, (9) genetically distinct terrestrial populations under threat, and (10) newly discovered habitats. Two-thirds of the literature included in this synthesis was published between 2010 and 2020 and only one-third was published earlier. The fast mounting, recent decadal evidence indicates various Antarctic biological communities now experience climate stress, or will experience such stress in the coming decades. The responses of organisms, ecosystem functions and services to environmental changes are complex and varied. Key knowledge gaps remain and need addressing to adequately assess future prospects for life in the Antarctic.

Abstract. Systematic long-term studies on ecosystem dynamics are largely lacking from the East Antarctic Southern Ocean, although it is well recognized that they are indispensable to identify the ecological impacts and risks of environmental change. Here, we present a framework for establishing a long-term cross-disciplinary study on decadal timescales. We argue that the eastern Weddell Sea and the adjacent sea to the east, off Dronning Maud Land, is a particularly well suited area for such a study, since it is based on findings from previous expeditions to this region. Moreover, since climate and environmental change have so far been comparatively muted in this area, as in the eastern Antarctic in general, a systematic long-term study of its environmental and ecological state can provide a baseline of the current situation, which will be important for an assessment of future changes from their very onset, with consistent and comparable time series data underpinning and testing models and their projections. By establishing an Integrated East Antarctic Marine Research (IEAMaR) observatory, long-term changes in ocean dynamics, geochemistry, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions and services will be systematically explored and mapped through regular autonomous and ship-based synoptic surveys. An associated long-term ecological research (LTER) programme, including experimental and modelling work, will allow for studying climate-driven ecosystem changes and interactions with impacts arising from other anthropogenic activities. This integrative approach will provide a level of long-term data availability and ecosystem understanding that are imperative to determine, understand, and project the consequences of climate change and support a sound science-informed management of future conservation efforts in the Southern Ocean.

Systematic long-term studies on ecosystem dynamics are largely lacking from the East Antarctic Southern Ocean, although it is well recognized that they are indispensable to identify the ecological impacts and risks of environmental change. Here, we present a framework for establishing a long-term cross-disciplinary study on decadal timescales. We argue that the eastern Weddell Sea and the adjacent sea to the east, off Dronning Maud Land, is a particularly well suited area for such a study, since it is based on findings from previous expeditions to this region. Moreover, since climate and environmental change have so far been comparatively muted in this area, as in the eastern Antarctic in general, a systematic long-term study of its environmental and ecological state can provide a baseline of the current situation, which will be important for an assessment of future changes from their very onset, with consistent and comparable time series data underpinning and testing models and their projections. By establishing an Integrated East Antarctic Marine Research (IEAMaR) observatory, long-term changes in ocean dynamics, geochemistry, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions and services will be systematically explored and mapped through regular autonomous and ship-based synoptic surveys. An associated long-term ecological research (LTER) programme, including experimental and modelling work, will allow for studying climate-driven ecosystem changes and interactions with impacts arising from other anthropogenic activities. This integrative approach will provide a level of long-term data availability and ecosystem understanding that are imperative to determine, understand, and project the consequences of climate change and support a sound science-informed management of future conservation efforts in the Southern Ocean

[EN] Ipsa scientia potestas est (knowledge itself is power), wrote Francis Bacon in his Meditationes Sacrae in 1597. Since then, mankind has acquired considerable knowledge, and power, but one of the most evident consequences of this process is the deterioration of the environment and of life on Earth. The current state of our ocean stimulated the United Nations to launch its Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), aiming to produce seven outcomes that will describe “the ocean we want” by the end of it. Among them, the second outcome, “A healthy and resilient ocean where marine ecosystems are understood, protected, restored and managed”, is based precisely on what Francis Bacon, the father of the scientific method, proposed: the better the information we have, the more ability we will have to control events, or at least to project them. […], [ES] Ipsa scientia potestas est, o, el conocimiento en sí mismo es poder, publicó Sir Francis Bacon en su Meditationes Sacrae en 1597. Desde entonces, la humanidad ha adquirido un conocimiento, y poder, considerables; sin embargo, una de las consecuencias más evidentes de este proceso es el deterioro del ambiente y la vida en la Tierra. El estado actual de nuestro océano estimuló a las Naciones Unidas a lanzar su propuesta “Decenio de las Ciencias Oceánicas para el Desarrollo Sostenible (2021–2030)” con el objetivo de producir siete resultados que describirán el “océano que queremos” al final de la década. Entre ellos, el segundo resultado “Un océano saludable y resiliente donde se entienden, protegen, restauran y gestionan los ecosistemas marinos” se basa precisamente en lo que Sir Francis Bacon, el padre del método científico, propuso; es decir, cuanta mejor información tengamos, más capacidad tendremos para controlar los eventos. Al menos, para predecirlos. […], [CAT] Ipsa scientia potestas est, o, el coneixement en si mateix és poder, va publicar Sir Francis Bacon en el seu Meditationes Sacrae el 1597. Des de llavors, la humanitat ha adquirit un coneixement, i poder, considerables; no obstant, una de les conseqüències més evidents d’això és el deteriorament de l’ambient i la vida a la Terra. L’estat actual del nostre oceà va estimular a les Nacions Unides a llançar la seva proposta “Deceni de les Ciències Oceàniques per al Desenvolupament Sostenible (2021–2030)” amb l’objectiu de produir set resultats que descriuran l’”oceà que volem” a finals d’aquesta dècada. Entre aquests, el segon resultat “Un oceà saludable i resilient on s’entenen, protegeixen, restauren i gestionen els ecosistemes marins” es basa precisament en el que Sir Francis Bacon, el pare del mètode científic, va proposar; és a dir, quant millor és la informació que tenim, més capacitat tindrem per a controlar els esdeveniments. Si més no, per predir-los. […]

Where polar ice sheets meet the coast, they can flow into the sea as floating ice shelves. The seabed underneath is in complete darkness, and may be Earth’s least known surface habitat. Few taxa there have been fully identified to named species (see Supplemental information) — remarkable for a habitat spanning nearly 1.6 million km2. Glimpses of life there have come from cameras dropped through 10 boreholes, mainly at the three largest Antarctic ice shelves — the Ross (McMurdo), Filchner-Ronne and Amery. Pioneering studies of life under boreholes found distinct morphotypes of perhaps >50 species. Here, we report remarkable growth and persistence over thousands of years of benthic faunal species collected in 2018 from the seabed under the Ekström Ice Shelf (EIS), Weddell Sea.

Knowledge of life on the Southern Ocean seafloor has substantially grown since the beginning of this century with increasing ship-based surveys and regular monitoring sites, new technologies and greatly enhanced data sharing. However, seafloor habitats and their communities exhibit high spatial variability and heterogeneity that challenges the way in which we assess the state of the Southern Ocean benthos on larger scales. The Antarctic shelf is rich in diversity compared with deeper water areas, important for storing carbon (“blue carbon”) and provides habitat for commercial fish species. In this paper, we focus on the seafloor habitats of the Antarctic shelf, which are vulnerable to drivers of change including increasing ocean temperatures, iceberg scour, sea ice melt, ocean acidification, fishing pressures, pollution and non-indigenous species. Some of the most vulnerable areas include the West Antarctic Peninsula, which is experiencing rapid regional warming and increased iceberg-scouring, subantarctic islands and tourist destinations where human activities and environmental conditions increase the potential for the establishment of non-indigenous species and active fishing areas around South Georgia, Heard and MacDonald Islands. Vulnerable species include those in areas of regional warming with low thermal tolerance, calcifying species susceptible to increasing ocean acidity as well as slow-growing habitat-forming species that can be damaged by fishing gears e.g., sponges, bryozoan, and coral species. Management regimes can protect seafloor habitats and key species from fishing activities; some areas will need more protection than others, accounting for specific traits that make species vulnerable, slow growing and long-lived species, restricted locations with optimum physiological conditions and available food, and restricted distributions of rare species. Ecosystem-based management practices and long-term, highly protected areas may be the most effective tool