Invitation to Southern Ocean Key Biodiversity Area workshop

This virtual workshop will take place during two identical joint sessions - August 8 16:00-19:00 UTC and August 10 4:00-7:00 UTC - during the forthcoming Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference. 

Attendees need only attend one session to participate. More information about the workshop can be found here. If you are interested in attending this workshop or being kept informed about the project, please add your name to this sheet.

Biodiversity is essential to the functioning of all life on earth, including in the Southern Ocean. “Key Biodiversity Areas” (or KBAs) are those sites deemed most critical to biodiversity conservation. In 2016, the IUCN published a A Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas which establishes a consultative, science-based process for identifying KBAs. Working with the IUCN and SCAR Ant-ICON Scientific Research Programme and EG-BAMM, this expert workshop will be focused on mapping potential KBAs in the Southern Ocean. In this workshop we will present ongoing work using the RAATD dataset towards classifying potential KBA areas across the subantarctic and Antarctic waters. RAATD – the Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking Data - is a Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research project led jointly by the Expert Groups on Birds and Marine Mammals and Antarctic Biodiversity Informatics. During the workshop, we will review supporting data and seek intensive input on proposed KBAs. We will refine proposed KBA delineations based on expert input, taking into account any potential overlap with other existing classifications and protections in the Southern Ocean (e.g., EBSAs, IMMAs, IBAs, MPAs). We will also discuss the potential additional role of KBAs.

Please share this information widely if there are others in your community which you think would be interested in attending. We are seeking input broadly from the Antarctic science and policy community.

Attendees need to register for the SCAR Open Science Conference to participate. You can register here at no cost. We look forward to seeing you there!