Autumn 2001 The Australian 1 Antarctic Division Welcome from the Federal Environment Minister (AAD), an agency of From the Director 1 Environment Australia, seeks to advance Australia’s Antarctic SCIENCE Cool Science for the Third Millennium 2 interests in pursuit of its vision of Sea ice, circulation and the East Antarctic ecosystem 5 having ‘Antarctica valued, protected and understood’. It does this by Antarctic pack-ice seals count 7 managing Australian government Can albatrosses and longline fisheries co-exist? 9 activity in Antarctica, providing transport and logistic support, Heard Island’s seabirds under scrutiny 12 maintaining four permanent 14 Australian research stations, and Minimising the disturbance to Antarctic wildlife conducting scientific research RiSCCy business 16 programs both on land and in the 17 Southern Ocean. Getting a handle on Antarctic species Maps are more than just a pretty picture 18 Australia’s four Antarctic goals • To maintain the Antarctic Treaty The Australian Antarctic Division Map Catalogue 19 System and enhance Australia’s 20 influence in it Peephole through the ice: the AMISOR project • To protect the Antarctic Volcanic eruptions and solar activity detected in ice core 22 environment • To understand the role of Do buoys have all the fun? The Mertz Glacier polyna experiment 23 Antarctica in the global An iceberg the size of Jamaica 24 climate system • To undertake scientific work of Effects of ozone depletion on Antarctic marine microbes 26 practical, economic and national TIGER eyes look south for space weather 28 significance Davis LIDAR commences atmospheric observations 29 Australian Antarctic Magazine 30 seeks to inform the Australian and Recent advances in medical research international Antarctic community Space Ship Earth: monitoring space weather 31 about the activities of the Australian 32 Antarctic program. Opinions Australian Antarctic Science Grants for 2001–02 expressed in Australian Antarctic OPERATIONS Making things happen: supporting our Antarctic program 34 Magazine do not necessarily represent the position of the Reducing energy use at Antarctic stations 37 Australian Government. Antarctic air transport link investigated 39 Australian Antarctic Magazine is Harnessing the power of the windiest continent 40 produced twice yearly. Editorial enquiries, including requests to Safe and waterproof on Heard Island 41 reproduce material or contributions Australian Antarctic shipping program 2000–01 42 should be addressed to: ENVIRONMENT & HERITAGE Human impacts in Antarctica: what are we doing? 43 The Editor Australian Antarctic Magazine Australia prioritises environment protection 48 Australian Antarctic Division Every Australian needs a shed! 49 Kingston, 7050 Tasmania, Australia World Heritage listed Heard Island 50 Australian Antarctic Division Marine debris in the Southern Ocean 51 Telephone: (03) 6232 3209 The conservation of Mawson’s Huts 52 (International 61 3 6232 3209) Wandering I photographed these birds on South Georgia email: [email protected] Flies discovered at Casey Station 54 albatrosses courting Facsimile: (03) 6232 3288 INTERNATIONAL 55 early one morning in a rare moment of (International 61 3 6232 3288) Antarctic Treaty focusses on environment and liability Antarctic Treaty to celebrate 40 years 56 Editor: Elizabeth Haywood squall light, which is arguably the best light 56 Editorial Advisory Committee: CCAMLR continues efforts to protect toothfish you can get, particularly when surrounding Professor Michael Stoddart CCAMLR: the first twenty years 57 ANARE Chief Scientist Increased diversity of private expeditions poses challenge 59 a bird that spends its life being blown about Peter Boyer Information Services Manager WEATHER Come fly with me over the Antarctic 60 in the Southern Ocean. The albatross with its Cathy Bruce Antarctic weather records: Mawson station 61 Publications Manager wings outstretched is a male trying to attract IN BRIEF 62 Cover Design: Lynda Warner FIFTY YEARS AGO 64 the female, who is grass-bound, having been ISSN 1445-1735 (print version) Dr Graham Robertson is a seabird FREEZE FRAME inside back cover exhausted by the size of the male’s ego! ecologist with the Australian Australian Antarctic Magazine can be viewed at Antarctica Online GRAHAM ROBERTSON Antarctic Division. He has conducted http://www.aad.gov.au/ Cover—Australia’s Antarctic Program starts the new millenium seeking to understand pioneering research on emperor information/magazine the role of Antarctica in the global climate system and to protect Antarctica and all of its special qualities. penguins, and more recently the © Commonwealth of Australia Photographs—Front, clockwise left to right: Andrew Klekociuk, Steve Nicol, Wayne incidental mortality of albatrosses in Papps, Doug Thost, Gavin Johnston, Wayne Papps, Diana Calder. longline fisheries. You can read his Back, clockwise left to right: Wayne Papps, Pauline deVos, Kim Pitt, Stephen Brooks 1 Clive McMahon and Anna McEldwney, Steve Nicol, Australian Antarctic Data Centre, article Can albatrosses and longline Wayne Papps. Iceberg in background: Diana Calder. fisheries co-exist? on page 9. From the Director Welcome to this first issue of Australian a three-year charter period in which Antarctic Magazine. Our aim is to reach we will operate two vessels to support out to the wide community of people who the Antarctic program. The RSV Aurora share an excitement about Antarctica. Its Australis is spending a greater proportion successful predecessor ANARE News has of her time as a scientific platform. enjoyed an over-long sabbatical. It is my The Science Branch of the Australian hope that you will enjoy this magazine and, Antarctic Division has embarked upon through its pages, become more aware of a rolling program of instrument the diversity of the Australian Antarctic automation, with many experiments now AAD PHOTO program and Australia’s commitment to running automatically. Dear Readers Antarctica. Australian Antarctic Magazine There have been other changes too. As Minister for the Environment and will report on the current work of In 1999 we reorganised the Biology Heritage, I have the privilege of having the Australian Antarctic program, look Program to allow the Antarctic Marine the Australian Antarctic Program within forward to the future, and reflect on the Living Resources Program to develop my portfolio responsibilities. achievements of the past. its national and international visibility. Two visits to Antarctica have instilled During the past two years we have Australia maintains a high profile in in me lasting impressions of the mag- been implementing the Government’s the Convention on the Conservation of nitude and grandeur of the Antarctic response to the Antarctic Science Advisory Antarctic Marine Living Resources and has wilderness. And admiration of the Committee’s Report Australia’s Antarctic been very successful in having its scientific people who choose to work there. Program Beyond 2000—a Framework for findings on krill and fish stock assessments I have seen at first hand the difficulties the Future. The Government set us four translated into international agreements. of living and working in Antarctica, ambitious goals: to maintain the Antarctic As I write, the atmospheric sciences effort and appreciate the great opportunities Treaty system and enhance Australia’s is being reformed into two programs—the provided by Antarctic research to answer influence in it; to protect the Antarctic Meteorological Science and Atmospheric fundamental questions about global environment; to understand the role of and Space Physics programs. This change environmental processes. Antarctica in the global climate system; will better focus their activities on the Protection of the Antarctic environ- ment is a priority for the Howard and to undertake scientific work of global climate system. The deployment Government, and in this regard I follow practical, economic and national at the start of this season of the LIDAR with great interest Australia’s efforts on significance. Each issue of Australian instrument at Davis marks a significant the ice and in the Southern Ocean. For Antarctic Magazine will report on what we development in Australia’s middle example, an instrumental piece of work, are doing to meet these goals. atmosphere climatology research, and the in which Australia’s Antarctic scientists A key challenge for the Antarctic science community is looking forward can take great pride, is the contribution program is to ensure consistently high eagerly to the research results. to understanding and managing the quality results are achieved with maximum An environmental management resources of the Southern Ocean. efficiency in all the areas of our work. system is being put in place which The international impact of our In doing this we are staying alert to will cover all of our activities in the recent efforts in the Convention on opportunities to do better. This year we Antarctic and at the program’s Kingston the Conservation of Antarctic Marine are looking very carefully at a number headquarters. Living Resources have directly met of matters including air transport to, Within the Antarctic Treaty we have the Government’s goals of influence and within, Antarctica; the potential for a number of initiatives being developed within the Antarctic Treaty system and joint use of facilities and logistics; the in partnership with the Department of protection of the Antarctic environment. development of a more flexible program; Foreign