Goal: Catalyze the designation of a system of large marine protected areas (MPAs) in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean, covering 4.3 million km² of the high seas region managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

The Alliance is collaborating with the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) to advocate for the designation of these protected areas. Working with governments, scientists, and civil society organizations, ASOC is a leading voice for marine conservation in the region, dedicated to protecting the vulnerable ecosystems of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.  

It is home to nearly 10,000 unique species and is a critical area for maintaining the health and stability of the global ocean. The proposed network of MPAs contains the breeding and foraging grounds for several species of penguins, seals, and whales. From Antarctic krill at the base of the food web, to apex predators like Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish (known as Chilean seabass) this region is rich in wildlife, and increasingly under threat of climate change and industrial fishing. Currents transfer cold water and nutrients from the Antarctic all the way to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. 

The Southern Ocean is managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), comprised of 27 member governments that govern by consensus.  

In 2009, CCAMLR adopted the world’s first high seas (and fully protected) MPA in the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf and, in 2011, agreed to pursue a network of MPAs. In 2016, CCAMLR adopted the world’s largest protected area in the Ross Sea region.   

CCAMLR has been a pioneer in ocean conservation since its inception in 1982 and has served as a model for the UN High Seas treaty adopted in 2023. As the only body with an existing framework for establishing MPAs in the high seas, CCAMLR has significant potential to advance global targets for protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. If successful, the system of MPAs could protect an area about half the size of Canada, at 4.3 million km². 

“The Southern Ocean is bursting with unique life — from sponges that can live for centuries to emperor penguins that thrive in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. But the science is telling us that these and other species are likely to be affected by climate change and other human activities. A science-based system of marine protected areas can safeguard Antarctica’s incredible marine ecosystems for future generations.”  

– Claire Christian, Executive Director, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition