Spatial and Temporal Scales of Human Disturbance McMurdo Station, Antarctica LongTerm Environmental

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Spatial and Temporal Scales of Human
DisturbanceMcMurdo Station, AntarcticaLong-Term
Environmental MonitoringBriefing of the
National Science FoundationOffice of Polar
ProgramsOctober 13, 2006

• by
• Texas AM University, College Station, TX
• University of Texas, Port Aransas, TX

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• Agenda
• Introductions
• Polly Penhale
• Environmental Officer,
• National Science Foundation Office of Polar
  Programs
• Long Term Environmental Monitoring Program
  McMurdo Station - Overview
• Chuck Kennicutt, Principal Investigator (Project
  Leader)
• Office of the Vice President for Research and
  Oceanography Department, Texas AM University

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• Agenda
• Terrestrial Physical Disturbance at McMurdo
  Station and Geospatial Analyses
• Andrew Klein
• Co-Principal Investigator (Geospatial Science)
• Geography Department, Texas AM
• Organic and Inorganic Chemical Contaminant
  Distributions, McMurdo Station
• Terry Wade
• Co-Principal Investigator (Contaminant Chemistry)
• Geochemical and Environmental Research Group,
  Texas AM University

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• Agenda
• Marine Benthic Biological and Toxicological
  Responses, McMurdo Station
• Long Term Monitoring Project Design and
  Statistical Analyses
• Paul Montagna
• Co-Principal Investigator ( Marine Benthic
  Ecology and Statistical Analyses)
• Harte Research Institute
• Texas AM University Corpus Christi

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• Agenda
• US Antarctic Program Long Term Environmental
  Monitoring Program - Future Directions and
  Discussions
• All

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Spatial and Temporal Scales of Human
DisturbanceMcMurdo Station, AntarcticaUSAP
Long-term Environmental Monitoring
ProgramOverview

• Texas AM University, College Station, TX, United
  States
• University of Texas, Port Aransas, TX, United
  States

Presentation made to the Office of Polar
Programs National Science Foundation October,
13 2006
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• Monitoring of Human Impacts

1904
1956
1961
2000
Protocol on the Environmental Protection The
Madrid Protocol 1991
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• International Framework
• 1989 Discussion of environmental monitoring of
  human impacts - ATCM XV
• 1991 - Call for specialized meetings to deal with
  environmental monitoring - ATCM XVI
• 1992 - First Meeting of Experts Buenos Aires.
  Argetina
• 1994 - SCAR and COMNAP offer to convene
  workshops ATCM XVIII

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• International Framework (cont.)
• 1995 -1996 - SCAR/COMNAP Workshops
• 1999 - 2005 - COMNAP Workshops and Manuals
• 2005 NSF/SCAR/COMNAP Workshop on Biological
  Indicators

2000
1995-1996
2005
1999
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US Planning

• Review of Historical Studies and Preliminary
  Design - 1999

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Regional Setting
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Local Setting
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Sampling Grid
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Terrestrial Sampling Design
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Marine Sampling Design
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• Pilot Project

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Team Deployments
Long Term Monitoring
Pilot Project
Go Geographer, Ge Geochemist, B Biologist,
E- Ecologist, S - Student
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Sample Collections
Pilot Project
Long Term Monitoring
T- Terrestrial, M Marine
MORE THAN 5000 SAMPLES COLLECTED OVER 7 YEARS!!
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Terrestrial Sampling Program

• Physical/chemical Vegetation coverage, snow and
  ice coverage, extent of physical disturbance,
  permafrost depth, total organic carbon, total
  inorganic carbon, grain size and moisture content.

• Contaminants total petroleum hydrocarbons
  (petroleum spills or leaks) and trace metals
  (metals - dust, solid waste disposal).

• Major runoff channels total suspended solids,
  salinity, pH, selected trace metals, and TPH.

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Marine Sampling Program

• Contaminants in sediments hydrocarbons, PCBs,
  metals, sediment toxicological tests.

• Biological tissues hydrocarbons and PCBs.

• Benthic infaunal communities community
  structure, species
• diversity, abundance and biomass,
  photo-documentation of epibenthic community
  structure, species diversity, and abundance.

• Marine sediments and water column coliform
  bacteria, grain size, total organic carbon
  content, and percent moisture.

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Summary

• The Antarctic Treaty (including Annexes) and US
  Statutes Establish the Framework for Monitoring
  Activities.
• US Long Term Monitoring Program at McMurdo
  Station is Based on Years of International and US
  Planning Activities.
• The McMurdo Monitoring Program is Consistent with
  International Obligations and Guidance Documents.
• The Monitoring Program Design is Flexible and
  Subject to Revision as New Information is
  Available.