Weddell Sea Marine Protected Area
The Weddell Sea lies in the Atlantic sector of the Antarctic, to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is one of the few remaining marine regions in the world that are largely untouched. As the sea remains partially frozen even in summer, it has never been extensively fished. As a result, its delicate flora and fauna communities on the seafloor are largely intact, making the Weddell Sea one of the most biologically significant regions of the Antarctic. Consequently, for several years now there have been plans to protect a large section of the Weddell Sea in order to preserve its unique diversity for future generations. Experts from the AWI have closely monitored habitats in the region for many years; their data provides the basis for international negotiations on a Marine Protected Area in the Weddell Sea.
The biodiversity of a tropic coral reef
The Weddell Sea is home to many faunal and floral species that are linked with and dependent on one another through the Antarctic food web. The sea ice, which covers roughly three quarters of the Weddell Sea in winter, plays a pivotal role. Ice algae and bacteria grow on the underside of the ice, providing food for zooplankton, which include amphipods and krill, an arthropod species common in Antarctica. The zooplankton is a food source for fish, which in turn – together with krill – are eaten by penguins, seals and whales. In addition, at the end of the southern summer, huge numbers of dead zooplankton sink to the seafloor, where benthic organisms eat their remains. Currently about 14,000 faunal species are known for the seafloor of the Weddell Sea. Some parts of the sea are as biodiverse as tropical coral reefs. Particularly on the continental shelf, glass sponges, cnidarians, soft corals, sea squirts and other organisms grow together so densely that they form metre-high “underwater forests”. The Weddell Sea is also considered an important refuge for many marine organisms in the case the oceans continue to warm due to climate change. Many Antarctic organisms have adapted to the cold environment over millions of years. In the future, they may migrate to the Weddell Sea, which will most likely maintain its low water temperatures for longer thanks to its ice cover and favourable currents. There is reason to hope that cold-loving marine organisms will gradually adapt to the rising water temperature over generations under the protection of the Weddell Sea – and therefore survive.
What kind of protection is planned for the Weddell Sea?
To protect the Antarctic ecosystem as a whole, a number of countries ratified the Antarctic Treaty System in 1959, which calls for the peaceful and sustainable use and exploration of the southern continent and its waters for all time. To define more precisely how the living resources of Antarctic waters could be used, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was also ratified in 1982. CCAMLR defines, for example, the quantities of krill and toothfish that may be caught in Antarctica. To ensure that the especially important Weddell Sea remains untouched and unfished in the future, Germany announced in 2012 that it would prepare a proposal for a Weddell Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) under CCAMLR. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture subsequently tasked the AWI to collect and analyse scientific data on the Weddell Sea, and to develop a protection concept on this basis. In 2016, the European Union submitted the first proposal for a Weddell Sea MPA, which, after some revisions, is now supported by 18 of the 26 CCAMLR member states. Initially, the area west of the Prime Meridian is to be declared a MPA, and subsequently the area east of it as well. However, for the Weddell Sea to be truly protected, the proposal has to be unanimously adopted by all CCAMLR members.
Facts and Figures
14,000
faunal species
Roughly 14,000 faunal species live on the seafloor of the Weddell Sea.
300,000
breeding pairs
The Weddell Sea serves as a hunting ground for 300,000 breeding pairs of the Antarctic petrel.
1/3
of all emperor penguins
With more than 70,000 breeding pairs, about one third of all emperor penguin chicks hatch on the sea ice of the Weddell Sea.
FAQ
What characterises the marine organisms in the Weddell Sea?
The living conditions in the Weddell Sea are extreme, as the water temperature can even drop below zero degrees Celsius; in this case, the high salinity prevents the water from freezing. The marine organisms have to cope with these temperatures. Icefishes, for example, produce “antifreeze proteins” that keep their blood from freezing. In addition, these organisms have to save energy in order to survive. One strategy they use in this regard is to grow extremely slowly. As a result, most of the local fish species only become sexually mature after three to nine years. In addition, many of the fish species and invertebrates living on the seafloor care intensively for their offspring. They build nests, and although they produce comparatively few spawns, they provide abundant yolk for their eggs, which increases their chances of survival. The world’s largest colony of fish nests, consisting of over 60 million nests of Jonah’s icefish and spread across 240 square kilometres, was only recently (2021) discovered by AWI scientists in the southern Weddell Sea. As Antarctic fish species generally reproduce very slowly, their populations are especially vulnerable to (over)fishing.
How large would the Weddell Sea MPA be compared to other Marine Protected Areas?
With an area of 2.2 million square kilometres, the Weddell Sea MPA (area west of the Prime Meridian) would be the largest MPA in the world. The declared goal of the United Nations is to protect ten percent of the world’s oceans by 2020 and thirty percent by 2030. So far, however, only eight percent has been achieved. Adding the western Weddell Sea region would be an important step towards reaching these goals.
When should the eastern part of the Weddell Sea be protected?
While the proposal to establish a Weddell Sea MPA in the western Weddell Sea region was submitted to CCAMLR in 2016, efforts for the eastern MPA are still ongoing. Extensive scientific data is still being analysed – primarily by Norwegian scientists supported by experts from other CCCAMLR member states. Norway and Germany are working closely together, as the AWI is responsible for the western part of the wider Weddell Sea region. The proposal for the future MPA in the eastern Weddell Sea region is to be completed by 2023.
What would be permitted in the Marine Protected Area, and what wouldn't?
Once the Weddell Sea is protected, it would be reserved for peaceful international collaboration and scientific research. Strictly regulated fishing would be allowed only in a small sub-area, in line with the objectives of the MPA.
What is the overall status quo in protecting Antarctic waters?
CCAMLR’s overarching goal is to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) throughout Antarctica. With climate change, more and more Antarctic waters are likely to be ice-free for large parts of the year, allowing fishing vessels to enter previously unfished regions. The network of MPAs is intended to prevent just that. In recent years, two MPAs have been established in Antarctica. The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf MPA was established in 2009. It was proposed by the UK and covers of 94,000 square kilometres where commercial fishing is prohibited. The area is an important feeding ground for Adélie penguins and inhabits unique benthic communities. The second CCAMLR MPA is located in the Ross Sea, south of New Zealand. It was first proposed by the US and New Zealand in 2012 and established in 2016. The aim of the MPA is to protect the marine ecosystem as a whole, including its food chains, along with top predators such as penguins, seals and whales, and their main food sources such as krill and Antarctic silverfish. The 1.55 million square kilometre MPA is divided into three zones where various activities are either generally prohibited or permitted to a limited extent; commercial fishing is prohibited in most (over 70 percent) of the MPA.
