AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 31 2016 The Australian Antarctic Division, a Division of the Department of the Environment and Energy, leads Australia’s Antarctic program and seeks to advance Australia’s Antarctic interests in pursuit of its vision of having ‘Antarctica valued, protected and understood’. It does this by managing Australian government activity in Antarctica, providing transport and logistic support to Australia’s Antarctic research program, maintaining four permanent Australian research stations, and conducting scientific research programs both on land and in the Southern Ocean. Australia’s Antarctic national interests are to: ICEBREAKER • Preserve our sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory, including our sovereign rights 2 Future-proofing icebreaker science over the adjacent offshore areas. • Take advantage of the special opportunities SCIENCE HISTORY Antarctica offers for scientific research. 20 Mobile diatoms flourish in acid ocean 25 In from the cold: unlocking the secrets of Antarctic field notebooks • Protect the Antarctic environment, having regard to its special qualities and effects on our region. • Maintain Antarctica’s freedom from strategic and/or political confrontation. • Be informed about and able to influence developments in a region geographically proximate to Australia. • Derive any reasonable economic benefits from living and non-living resources of the Antarctic (excluding deriving such benefits from mining and oil drilling). Australian Antarctic Magazine is produced twice a year (June and December). Australian Antarctic Magazine seeks to inform the Australian and international Antarctic community about the activities of the Australian Antarctic program. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors CONTENTS and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE VALE and Energy. ICEBREAKER VALE Bob Dingle: 1920–2016 24 © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2016 Future-proofing icebreaker science 2 HISTORY Heavy lifting 5 In from the cold: unlocking the secrets of Australian Antarctic Magazine is licensed by the New ways to catch krill 7 Antarctic field notebooks 25 Commonwealth of Australia for use under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence, with the PEOPLE SCIENCE exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth Sea-ice bacteria involved in Creative solutions to Antarctic challenges 26 of Australia, content supplied by third parties, and any mercury transformation 9 Antarctic Medal 28 images depicting people. For licence conditions see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Philip Law Medal 28 Exposing a sulphur-mediated microbial liaison 10 This publication should be attributed as ‘Australian Antarctic Magazine, Commonwealth of Australia 2016’. Melting ice shelves reduce critical POLICY deep water formation 12 The Commonwealth of Australia has made all Twenty five years of the Protocol on reasonable efforts to identify content supplied by Treating sewage seriously 14 Antarctic environmental protection 29 third parties using the following format ‘© Copyright, [name of third party] ’. Antarctic fauna at risk from IN BRIEF human pathogenic bacteria 16 Editorial enquiries, including requests to reproduce FREEZE FRAME material, or contributions, should be addressed to: Scientists pinpoint beginning of current global warming trend 17 The Editor Australian Antarctic Magazine Understanding ice shelf processes 18 Australian Antarctic Division 203 Channel Highway Mobile diatoms flourish in acid ocean 20 Kingston, 7050 Ice core study shows plants absorb less Tasmania, Australia. carbon in a warming world 22 Australian Antarctic Division Telephone: (03) 6232 3209 Magnetic field and radioactivity (International 61 3 6232 3209) monitoring at Mawson 23 email: [email protected] Facsimile: (03) 6232 3288 ABOUT THE COVER (International 61 3 6232 3288) This photograph of an Adélie penguin sizing up the bow Editor: Wendy Pyper Production: Sally Chambers, Jessica Fitzpatrick of the Aurora Australis was taken by Dean Lewins, a senior Graphic Design: Paper Monkey staff photographer for Australian Associated Press (AAP) Issue 31: December 2016 for the past 18 years (and a photojournalist for 30 years). ISSN 1445-1735 (print version) Dean has covered major sporting events, including six Olympic Games, and the conflict and unrest in East Timor, Australian Antarctic Magazine is printed on Monza satin recycled paper; a 50% post consumer waste Solomon Islands and Iraq. Travelling to Antarctica with the and 50% FSC certified fibre stock. Australian Antarctic Division for the Mawson Centenary in Australian Antarctic Magazine can be viewed online: 2012 was a once in a lifetime assignment. www.antarctica.gov.au/magazine From the AAD Director This year we are celebrating two important milestones — the 30th anniversary of the moratorium on commercial whaling and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Madrid Protocol). As this magazine went to press I attended the annual International Whaling Commission meeting in my new role as Australia’s Commissioner to the IWC. Australia was instrumental in establishing the moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, and as Commissioner I will continue to advocate for a permanent end to all forms of commercial whaling and so-called scientific whaling. Australian researchers, many coordinated by the Australian Marine Mammal Centre at the Australian Antarctic Division, have demonstrated that all information necessary for the management and conservation of whales can be obtained through non-lethal methods. Australia, alongside France, also played a key role in the development and signing of the Madrid Protocol, which bans mining in Antarctica indefinitely and designates Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science. The Protocol has been a highly successful agreement, providing a framework for advancing environmental protection and accommodating emerging environmental challenges. At this year’s Another exciting engineering project is of If science is the ‘currency’ of Antarctica then Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, course the design and build of our new the Australian Antarctic Science Program Antarctic nations issued the ‘Santiago Antarctic icebreaker (page 2). The icebreaker has proven its worth this year with a range Declaration’, reaffirming their commitment is the centrepiece of our Australian Antarctic of important research papers published. to the objectives and purpose of the Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan, launched by This season we have a number of exciting Treaty and Madrid Protocol (page 29). the Australian Government in April this year. projects on the go that will continue to add In this issue we look at what it takes to build a to this knowledge bank in years to come. Among the rules for Antarctica’s protection multi-purpose ship that meets the challenges (See the science pages of this magazine for are requirements that environmental impact of science and resupply today and 30 years an overview). DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE assessments are completed for planned activities. into the future. This issue of the magazine includes one such Our sub-Antarctic station on Macquarie Island example at Davis research station, aimed at In this first year of the Action Plan we are has also been an important focus of research identifying the level of wastewater treatment also developing options for future aviation effort for the past 70 years and the Australian 2016 needed to ensure that Australia meets its capabilities that provide year-round access to Government has recently committed $50 environmental responsibilities under national Antarctica. This is not a commitment to build million to replace the ageing station with 31 legislation and the Madrid Protocol (page 14). a year-round runway; at this stage we are only state-of-the-art infrastructure that supports scoping environmental and operational costs globally important science and a permanent, ISSUE Wastewater management is recognised by all of establishing such a capability. year-round presence. national Antarctic programs to be a complex issue, and a wide range of technologies are Similarly, we have begun scoping development of Planning to decommission and remove in use across Antarctic stations. In the last a deep-field overland science traverse capability ageing infrastructure on the island is now issue of this magazine we showcased the truly and mobile research station infrastructure — underway, with a focus on lightening the cutting-edge advanced wastewater treatment both essential for Australia’s involvement in environmental footprint on this important plant developed by the Australian Antarctic major Antarctic research projects, including the World Heritage site. The new research station Division and a range of academic and quest for a million year-old ice core. is expected to be operational in 2021–22. industry partners, as a result of our scientists’ environmental impact assessment advice. Our traverse investment, combined with work Dr NICK GALES towards an expanded aviation capability, will Director, Australian Antarctic Division This technology has now been nominated for MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN significantly improve Australia’s leadership in an engineering excellence award. 1 science and operations and offer Australia’s Antarctic Program unprecedented access to and across East