Global and Antarctic Climate Change and Biodiversity: Physical connections and Legal disconnections Tina Tin, Scott Hajost, James Barnes Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC)

Antarctic climate change Global climate change Antarctic biodiversity Global biodiversity

Southern Ocean warming down to 3,000m and faster than global average Sea ice off West Antarctic Peninsula reduced by 40% Antarctic climate change Global climate change

Antarctic climate change Global climate change Antarctic Peninsula warming 5 times faster than global average 90% of Antarctic Peninsula glaciers have retreated

Antarctic climate change Global climate change Less sea ice -> less krill Fewer Adelie penguins in northern Antarctic Peninsula Antarctic biodiversity

Antarctic climate change Global climate change More Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins in northern Antarctic Peninsula Rapid expansion of some plant communities Antarctic biodiversity

Antarctic climate change Global climate change Antarctica will warm by 3C by 2100 Southern Ocean continues to warm and to greater depths Annual average total sea ice area decrease by 33% by 2100 Acidification of Southern Ocean Retreat of glaciers and ice shelves

Antarctic climate change Global climate change Higher risk of invasion of non-native species (marine and terrestrial) Perturbation of marine food web and ecosystem Antarctic biodiversity

West Antarctic Ice Sheet Amundsen Sea Embayment Antarctic climate change Global climate change

Antarctic climate change Global climate change Less snow and ice -> lower global albedo -> more warming Changes in global ocean circulation Global sea level rise Changes in global climate system??

Antarctic climate change Global climate change Global biodiversity Menon et al 2010 Global summary of percent areal reduction across global ecoregions under a scenario of 6 m of sea-level rise.

Antarctic Treaty (1959) Preamble “Recognizing that it is in the interest of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord.” Article IX “… preservation and conservation of living resources in Antarctica”

Antarctic Treaty (1959) Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Flora and Fauna (1964) Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972) (CCAS) Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1991) Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980) (CCAMLR) Antarctic Treaty System

Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1991) Article 2 Objective and Designation “The Parties commit themselves to the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems and hereby designate Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science.” Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980) (CCAMLR) Article II (1) “The objective of the Convention is the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources.”

Argentina Argentina Australia Australia Belgium Belgium Brazil Brazil Bulgaria Bulgaria Chile Chile China China Ecuador Ecuador Finland Finland France France Germany Germany India India Italy Italy Japan Japan Korea (ROK) Korea (ROK) Netherlands Netherlands New Zealand New Zealand Norway Norway Peru Peru Poland Poland Russian Federation Russian Federation South Africa South Africa Spain Spain Sweden Sweden Ukraine Ukraine United Kingdom United Kingdom United States United States Uruguay Uruguay 28 Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty

Antarctic Treaty (1959) Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Flora and Fauna (1964) Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972) (CCAS) Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1991) Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980) (CCAMLR) International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (1946) Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (2001) (ACAP) Antarctic Treaty System Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973) (CITES) Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) (CBD) UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) (UNFCCC)

Weak linkages between ATS and UNFCCC, CBD, CITES Limited to invitation of experts, transmission of reports (UNFCCC); acknowlegment of importance in coordination (CBD) ATS late in putting climate change on agenda. Only starting discussion on including CC in management and conservation. No discussion of GHG inventories or mitigation on the pretext of small overall emissions (true!) but moral obligation linked with justification of climate change science and GHG emission intensity of each person going to Antarctica far greater than global average.

Antarctic climate change Global climate change Antarctic biodiversity Global biodiversity Future Linkages?