NSF Award
2409327
Non-technical abstract<br/>The McMurdo Dry Valleys are the largest ice-free area on the Antarctic continent and are a place where life exists at the very extremes of environmental and physiological limits for life. Thus, it is a region that is vulnerable not only to anthropogenic climate change but also to direct human impacts. The proximity of the region to multiple international research stations operated by Antarctic Treaty member states makes it accessible to a significant number of scientific visitors each year. Moreover, anticipated increases in the number of commercial vessels operating in the Ross Sea may open the region to a greater number of tourist visits. Thus, it is necessary that scientists, logistic contractors, and managers operating in the region convene regularly to assess the state of the environment and define best practices that will maintain the nature of the area. International workshops addressing environmental management of McMurdo Dry Valleys region have been held in 1991, 1995, 1998, and 2016. The participants of these workshops were drawn from multiple national science programs, tour groups, logistics coordinators, and environmental consultants. This workshop will be the fifth in the series and aims to assess the efficacy of ongoing environmental practices, their influence on the environmental integrity of the region, and develop greater coordination among international Antarctic scientists and logisticians in efforts to update best practices for minimizing the impacts of human activity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys on the unique biological communities, geologic formations, and historical structures.<br/><br/>Technical abstract<br/>This international workshop on McMurdo Dry Valleys stewardship will address action items raised by previous workshops and make recommendations for future scientific, management, and logistical activities in the region. In the eight years since the most recent workshop the area has been challenged by aging infrastructure at McMurdo Station and field camps in the region, the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing urgency for scientists to assess their own environmental impacts, the potential for increased tourism, and dynamic changes in climate. Thus, it is important now that a fifth workshop be convened to assess the efficacy of ongoing environmental practices, their influence on the environmental integrity of the region, and update an international plan for documenting and minimizing broader environmental impacts. This workshop will also investigate impacts such as fuel use, energy efficiency of infrastructure, waste generation, and other contributions to carbon emissions, which were not included in prior workshops. This workshop aims to increase coordination among National Antarctic Research Programs in ongoing efforts to update best practices for minimizing scientific and tourism impacts on the McMurdo Dry Valleys and the unique biological communities, geologic formations, and historical structures located there.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
