High time to protect the Ross Sea

The world is calling on CCAMLR — the body responsible for declaring MPAs and protecting species’ habitat in the Antarctic region — to achieve a long overdue decision on a network of fully protected marine protected areas in the Antarctic region. Most important, we need a decision on the jewel of the Antarctic, the Ross Sea, home of possible new species of killer whales, minke whales and much more. A new report from AOA highlights a small sample of the thousands of resilient species that call the pristine Southern Ocean home. As the 33rd annual CCAMLR meeting carries on this week and next, the new report, “33 Species We Love and Must Protect” serves as a symbolic reminder that in order to continue research and discovery in Antarctica and protect many vulnerable and unique species, there must be commitment to preservation through enhanced protection.

For more information, see: http://antarcticocean.org and http://asoc.org