SCAR WORKING GROUP ON BIOLOGY HOME PAGE

INTRODUCTION TO THE BIOLOGY WORKING GROUP

The Working Group meets every two years and has organized six international Symposia. The published proceedings of these symposia have recorded progressive advances in knowledge of Antarctic Biology and its relationship to this unique environment.

The early interest in commercial exploitation of Antarctic marine living resources led the Working Group to play a pro-active role in the protection of the Antarctic biota and environment. It initiated proposals for the Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Flora and Fauna (1960) and for the system of Antarctic protected areas. This led to the development of Annex II of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Members of the Working Group provided input to the formulation of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS, 1970) and to the Convention for the Conservation of the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR, 1980).

The Working Group has responded to requests to SCAR from the Antarctic Treaty Parties for scientific advice on specific matters such as facilitation of scientific research and guidelines for experimental research on living animals. Through its Subcommittee on Conservation (subsequently the Group of Specialists on Environmental Affairs and Conservation, GOSEAC), it has advised SCAR on matters relating to conservation, designation of protected areas and their management plans, use of natural resources, human impact on the environment, pollution and tourism.

To facilitate making these responses and to co-ordinate research in different regions of the Antarctic, the Working Group has created subsidiary groups, such as the subcommittees on Bird Biology and on Evolutionary Biology of Antarctic Organisms. The programme on Biological Investigations of Terrestrial Antarctic Systems (BIOTAS), now part of the SCAR Global Change Programme, also developed from an initiative of this Working Group. SCAR has also created Groups of Specialists in the biological sciences at different times.

The wide-ranging interests and expertise of the Working Group on Biology and its subsidiary groups, coupled with effective and timely publication of scientific and technical reports, has been helpful in providing advice to the Antarctic Treaty System. The Working Group has ably demonstrated the need for and value of international scientific collaboration. The direct application of scientific knowledge gained through high quality research has been an invaluable aid to the process of political decision-making.