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August 2002 INFORMATION PAPER ATCM XXV

ANTARCTIC SITE INVENTORY: 1994-2002 by Ron Naveen, Oceanites, Inc. Principal investigator, Antarctic Site Inventory

(Submitted by the United Kingdom and the United States)

This paper describes results of the Antarctic Site Inventory project up

to

February

biological

data

2002. and

The

Antarctic

Site

site-descriptive

Inventory

information

in

has

collected

the

Antarctic

Peninsula since 1994, and is the only project collecting such data and information

at

a

wide

range

of

Peninsula

sites.

The

project's

methodology and results from previous field seasons have been described and discussed in XIX ATCM/INF 47, XX ATCM/INF 100, XX ATCM/INF 102, XXI ATCM/INF 114, and XXII ATCM/INF 27, XXIII/INF 32. Introduction.

Following

a

year

of

examining

methodologies

and

logistics, the Antarctic Site Inventory began fieldwork in November 1994, intending to: •

determine whether opportunistic visits can be used to effectively

and

economically

detect

possible

visitor-

caused changes in the physical features, flora, and fauna of

sites

in

the

Antarctic

Peninsula

being

visited

repeatedly by ship-based tourists; •

begin collecting baseline information necessary to detect possible changes in the physical and biological variables being monitored; and

•

determine

how

environmental

best

to

impacts

of

minimize tourism

or and

avoid

possible

non-governmental

activities in the Antarctic Peninsula area. Data

collected

by

the

Inventory

are

intended

to

assist

the

implementation of the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the 1

Antarctic

Treaty,

which,

among

other

things,

requires

a

priori

environmental impact assessments for all human activities, including tourism, and for monitoring to be done, as and when necessary, to ensure that activities do not have unacceptable environmental impacts. There is a focus on the “initial environmental reference state” of particular locations, which in the case of tourism, would refer to places where shipboard passengers are visiting. The environmental concern is to identify changes to the baseline reference state and, if possible, determine whether any detected changes are naturally occurring or are anthropogenic, perhaps caused by tourism or other human activities. Potential impacts may be short-term or longterm, immediate or cumulative. (Benninghoff and Bonner, 1985; Abbott and Benninghoff, 1990; SCAR, 1996; Emslie, 1997; Hofman and Jatko , 2002). Inventory field work is permitted under U.S. Antarctic Conservation Act

Permit

No.

2000-12,

issued

to

Oceanites,

Inc.

for

the

period

September 1, 1999 to August 31, 2004. Results. The Antarctic Site Inventory has demonstrated an ability to reach Antarctic Peninsula visitor sites frequently and cost-effectively, relying opportunistically on expedition tour vessels and the United Kingdom ice patrol vessel HMS Endurance for logistics support. Welltimed visits by trained researchers have proved an effective means of characterizing

sites

and

for

collecting

relevant

biological

data

(Naveen, 1997a; Naveen, et. al, 2001). In the eight seasons from November 1994 to March 2002, the Inventory has

made

416

visits

to

76

Peninsula

locations.

There

have

been

repetitive visits to all of the visitor sites that are most heavily visited by expedition tourists, and to all sites which exhibit the most species diversity and which are most prone to potential environmental disturbance from human visitors. (Naveen: 1997a, unpublished field data, 1999-2002; Naveen, et. al, 2001) Logistics. Site visits are achieved by placing research teams aboard expedition vessels operating in the Peninsula during the austral spring and summer. With respect to penguins and flying birds, the focus is collecting data on breeding population size (nest counts) and breeding productivity

(number

of

chicks

per

active

nest),

which

are

the

appropriate biological parameters for detecting direct and cumulative 2

impacts on these populations (Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, 2001). Expedition ships are selected carefully, particularly those with: (a) the longest Peninsula itineraries (b) whose Initial Environmental Evaluations have been reviewed by national authorities; and (c) whose operations

and

expedition

personnel

enable

Inventory

researchers

to

reach the most heavily visited sites and to collect data at key census times (the peak of egg-laying for nest counts and the peak of chickcrèching for chick counts). Site visits and aerial photodocumentation also have been undertaken in cooperation with HMS Endurance. (Naveen: 1996, 1997a, 1999) At each site researchers attempt to identify and census prospective control colonies (i.e. those that are seldom disturbed) and experimental colonies (i.e. those that are frequently visited). The intent is to repeat regular censuses both near and far from landing beaches where visitors access a particular location. This will allow comparisons, over time, between areas where there are more and less human activity. For the approaching 2002-03 Antarctic field season, logistics already are in place for Inventory researchers to continue collecting data at previously visited sites and to gather data at new sites encountering tourist visits for the first time. The project also hopes to begin more focused assessment and monitoring at a few key sites that are heavily visited, diverse in species composition, and sensitive to potential environmental disruptions from visitors. Methodology. The Inventory’s methodology (fully described in Naveen: 1996, 1997a) involves the collection of three categories of data and information: •

Basic Site Information, which includes descriptions of key

physical

latitude

and

and

topographical

longitude;

characteristics;

distribution

of

flora,

seal

haul-out and wallow locations, and discrete groups of breeding penguins and flying birds; •

Variable

Site

weather

and

extent,

cloud

Information

other

and

environmental

cover,

snow

Data,

which

conditions

cover,

includes (sea

temperature,

ice wind

direction and speed), biological variables (number of 3

occupied nests, number of chicks per occupied nest, ages

of

chicks),

observed

visitor

and

the

nature

impacts

and

extent

(footprints

or

of

any

paths,

cigarette butts, film canisters, and litter); and •

Maps and Photodocumentation, which portray the major features of each site, particularly the locations of colonies and assemblages of resident fauna and flora.

With respect to key biological variables, data collection follows Standard Methods established by the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) (Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, 2001). Data also are collected with reference to other pertinent authorities, in particular, The Distribution of Penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula and Islands of the Scotia Sea (Croxall, J. P. and E.D. Kirkwood, 1979) and The Distribution and Abundance of Antarctic and Subantarctic Penguins (Woehler, E.J., 1993). The Inventory divides the Antarctic Peninsula into six subareas: South Orkney Islands, including Laurie, Coronation, and Signy Islands (SO);

Elephant

Island

and

nearby

islands

(EI);

Northeast

Antarctic

Peninsula/northwestern Weddell Sea (NE), from Cape Dubouzet (63°16’S 64°00’W)

to

James

Ross

Island;

South

Shetland

Islands,

including

Deception, Low, and Smith Islands (SH); Northwest Antarctic Peninsula (NW), from Cape Dubouzet (63°16’S

64°00’W) to north end of the Lemaire

Channel; and Southwest Antarctic Peninsula (SW), from the north end of the Lemaire Channel to the northern part of Marguerite Bay (68°18’S 67°11’W). Biological data and site descriptions collected by the inventory have

been

papers,

published

government

and

routinely

reports,

and

made

popular

available

in

publications

peer-reviewed (Naveen:

1996,

1997a, 1997b; Naveen, et. al, 2000, 2001). Publications. Two reports relating to the project were published in 1997: •

Compendium of Antarctic Peninsula Visitor Sites: A Report to the Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom,

US

Department

of

State

and

UK

Foreign

and

Commonwealth Office (Naveen, 1997a)

4

•

The

Oceanites

Oceanites,

Site

Inc.,

Guide

Chevy

to

the

Chase,

Antarctic

Maryland,

Peninsula,

USA

(Naveen,

1997b) The Compendium includes site descriptions, data on fauna and flora, orientation maps, and photographs of Antarctic Peninsula tourism sites, while the Site Guide provides a summary of this information that can be used

readily

by

visitors,

Antarctic

tour

operators,

and

expedition

staff. The Site Guide is a popular version of these materials. Three peer-reviewed papers relating to Inventory field work appeared in 2000 and 2001: •

Prevalence

of

Leucism

in

Pygoscelid

Penguins

of

the

Antarctic Peninsula, Waterbirds 23 (2): 283-285 (Forrest, S. and Naveen, R., 2000). •

Censuses of penguin, blue-eyed shag, and southern giant petrel

populations

in

the

Antarctic

Peninsula

region,

1994-2000, Polar Record 36 (199): 323-334 (Naveen, R., Forrest, S.C., Dagit, R.G., Blight, L.K., Trivelpiece, W.Z., and Trivelpiece, S.G., 2000). •

Zodiac

landings

by

tourist

ships

in

the

Antarctic

Peninsula region, 1989-99, Polar Record 37 (201): 121132

(Naveen,

R.,

Forrest,

S.C.,

Dagit,

R.G.,

Blight,

L.K., Trivelpiece, W.Z., and Trivelpiece, S.G., 2001). The census paper (Naveen, et al., 2000) presents penguin, blue-eyed shag (Phalocrocorax atriceps), and southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) population data collected between 1994-2000. Since 1994, the Inventory has detected declines in nesting populations of blue-eyed shags at five of its thirteen shag census sites; the declines are significant

at

three

of

these

sites,

two

of

which

are

either

inaccessible to tourists or receive few tourist visits. These declines suggest that shag populations should be further monitored, and that their

decline

may

be

indicative

of

some

underlying

environmental

change. The

zodiac

landings

paper

(Naveen,

et

al.,

2001)

examines

the

location, intensity, and frequency of zodiac landings by expedition tour ship passengers in the Antarctic Peninsula over ten seasons, 1989-90 5

through 1998-99. In this period, the 25 most heavily visited Peninsula sites, by number of landings, were: Site Whalers Bay, Deception Island Cuverville Island Port Lockroy (incl. Jougla Point), Wiencke Is. Pendulum Cove, Deception Island Hannah Point, Livingston Island Petermann Island Half Moon Island Almirante Brown Station, Paradise Bay Paulet Island Arctowski Station, King George Island Neko Harbor, Andvord Bay Baily Head (incl. Rancho Point), Deception Is. Waterboat Pt. (G. Videla Station), Paradise Bay Aitcho Islands Penguin Island Palmer Station, Arthur Harbor, Anvers Is. Pléneau Islands Paradise Bay (nonspecifically described as to site) Hope Bay (Esperanza Station) Ak. Vernadskiy (ex-Faraday) Station, Argentine Is. Telefon Bay, Deception Island Yankee Harbor, Greenwich Island Point Lookout, Elephant Island Torgersen Is., Arthur Harbor Portal Point, Charlotte Bay

SH NW NW

1989-99 Landings 425 359 350

89-99 Rank 1 2 3

SH SH SW SH NW

300 290 278 263 259

4 5 6 7 8

NE SH

196 166

9 10

NW SH

152 149

11 12

NW

148

13

SH SH NW

147 118 104

14 15 16

SW NW

89 88

17 18

NE SW

87 72

19 20

SH SH EI NW NW

65 60 59 57 56

21 22 23 24 25

In this decade, the number of Peninsula zodiac landings per season increased more than 400%, from 164 to 858, concentrating in the South Shetland Islands (43.2% of all zodiac landings) and the northwestern part

of

the

Peninsula

(35.9%

of

all

zodiac

landings).

The

10-20

Peninsula sites with the most zodiac landings per season consistently account for 54-75% of each season’s landings and visitors. In each season, there are zodiac landings at previously unvisited sites.

Assuming

the

35

sites

visited

in

the

1989-90

season

as

a

baseline, 130 “new” sites have been added as zodiac landing sites from 1990-91 through 1998-99, reaching a cumulative total of 165 sites. The

6

rate

of

recruitment

of

“new”

sites

was

highest

during

mid-decade

(between 1994-95 and 1996-97), but is showing a declining trend. Season

Zodiac landing sites visited for the 1st time

89-90 90-91 91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99

35 7 12 14 16 21 19 18 11 12

Percentage of visits during the season to “new” sites 100.0 % 21.9 % 27.3 % 28.0 % 25.0 % 28.0 % 26.8 % 22.2 % 15.5 % 14.1 %

In general, over the 1989-99 period, as the cumulative number of visited sites has grown to 165, the percentage of sites actually visited each season has declined and the number of sites visited only once each season has risen.

Season

89-90 90-91 91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99

Number of zodiac landing sites, cumulative total 35 42 54 68 84 105 124 142 153 165

Sites with zodiac landings during the season 35 32 44 50 64 75 71 81 71 85

Percentage of sites visited during the season 100.0 76.2 81.5 73.5 76.2 71.4 57.3 57.0 46.4 51.5

Sites visited only once during the season

% % % % % % % % % %

Percentage of sites visited only once

9 7 12 16 23 24 20 28 26 30

25.7 21.9 27.3 32.0 35.9 32.0 28.2 34.6 36.6 35.3

% % % % % % % % % %

From its inception, the Inventory has collected data regarding the presence or absence of nesting species of penguins and flying birds, wallows

of

southern

elephant

seals,

and

large

patches

or

beds

of

lichens and mosses at all sites visited. These data are used to rank 7

sites as to their species diversity, based on the number of faunal species and major floral groups recorded. Sites with “high” species diversity tallied 10 or more faunal species or major floral groups. Sites with “medium” species diversity tallied 5-9 faunal species or major floral groups. “Low” diversity sites tallied 0-4 faunal species or major floral groups. Five sites with high species diversity were identified: Hannah Point (SH), Penguin Island (SH), the Aitcho Islands (SH), Cuverville Island (NW), and Fort Point (SH). Fifteen sites with medium species diversity were identified: Arctowski Station (SH), Astrolabe Island (NW), Baily Head (SH), Brown Bluff (NE), Half Moon Island (SH), Heroína Island (NE), Port Lockroy (NW), Point Lookout (EI), Orne Island (NW), Paulet Island (NE), Petermann Island (SW), Pléneau Island (SW), Turret Point (SH), Whaler’s Bay (SH), and Yankee Harbor (SH). Using these presence/absence data as a base, sites also are ranked as to their potential sensitivity to disruption by visitors, depending on: (a) the number of penguin and seabird species whose nests visitors may access easily, (b) whether or not visitors may access southern elephant

seal

wallows

easily,

and

(c)

whether

or

not

visitors

may

access easily and possibly trample large patches or beds of lichens and mosses.

Sites

with

five

5

or

more

tallies

were

considered

to

be

“highly” sensitive to potential disturbances by visitors; sites with 34 tallies were considered to be “moderately” sensitive; and sites with 0-2

tallies

were

considered

to

have

“low”

sensitivity

sites

were

identified:

to

potential

disturbances. Four

highly

sensitive

Hannah

Point

(SH),

Penguin Island (SH), the Aitcho Islands (SH), and Turret Point (SH). Nine moderately sensitive sites were identified: Brown Bluff (NE), Fort Point (SH), Gourdin Island (NW), Orne Island (NW), Paulet Island (NE), Petermann Island (SW), Pléneau Island (SW), Georges Point, Rongé Island (NW), and Waterboat Point (NW). In summary, of 76 Peninsula sites visited by the Inventory since 1994,

23

(or

high/moderate

30%)

exhibit

sensitivity

to

high/medium potential

species

diversity

environmental

or

disturbance

(Naveen, et al., 2001; Naveen, unpublished field data, 1999-2002). A list of these 23 sites follows, indicating whether each site exhibits high

or

medium

species

diversity,

high

or

moderate

sensitivity

to 8

potential environmental disturbance from visitors, or ranks among the 25 most heavily visited sites between 1989-99, by number of zodiac landings:

Site

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Hannah Point Penguin Is. Aitcho Is. Turret Point, King George is. Fort Point, Greenwich Is. Petermann Is. Paulet Is. Cuverville Is. Brown Bluff, Tabarin Pen. Orne Is. Pleneau Is. Waterboat Point Half Moon Is. Jougla Point, Port Lockroy, Wiencke Is. Whalers Bay, Deception Is. Baily Head, Deception Is. Yankee Harbor Arctowski Station vic. Gourdin Is. Pt. Lookout, Elephant Is. Georges Pt., Rongé Is. Heróina Is. Astrolabe Is.

Coordinates

60 57 59 57

37 54 47 55

Site Sensitivity

High High High Medium

High High High High

5 15 14 -

62 62 62 62

SH

62 43 S 59 34 W

High

Moderate

-

NW NE NW

65 10 S 64 10 W 63 35 S 55 47 W 64 41 S 62 38 W

Medium Medium High

Moderate Moderate Low

6 9 2

NE

63 32 S 56 55 W

Medium

Moderate

-

NW SW NW

64 40 S 62 40 W 65 06 S 64 04 W 64 49 S 62 51 W

Medium Medium Low

Moderate Moderate Moderate

17 13

SH NW

62 36 S 59 55 W 64 49 S 63 30 W

Medium Medium

Low Low

7 3

SH

62 59 S 60 34 W

Medium

Low

1

SH

62 58 S 60 30 W

Medium

Low

12

SH SH

62 32 S 59 47 W 62 15 S 58 51 W

Medium Medium

Low Low

22 10

NW EI

63 12 S 57 18 W 61 17 S 55 13 W

Low Medium

Moderate Low

23

NW

64 40 S 62 40 W

Low

Moderate

-

NE NW

63 24 S 54 36 W 63 17 S 58 40 W

Medium Medium

Low Low

-

The

S S S S

Species Diversity

SH SH SH SH

Acknowledgements.

39 06 24 05

Rank among Top 25 sites, number of zodiac landings, 1989-99

2000-01

W W W W

and

2001-02

field

seasons

were

supported and assisted by: Environmental Defense, Inc, New York, NY; The Tinker Foundation, New York, NY; the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office; the British Royal Navy’s UK ice patrol vessel HMS Endurance; Lindblad Expeditions, Inc., New York, NY, and the expedition staff, officers, and

9

crew of MV Endeavour; the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO); the Cincinnati Zoo and Biological Garden, Cincinnati, OH;

and

private

contributors.

Oceanites,

Inc.

is

grateful

for

this

support, and welcomes additional sponsors and collaborators.

References Abbott, S. and Benninghoff, W.S., 1990. Orientation of Environmental Change

Studies

to

the

Conservation

of

Antarctic

Ecosystems,

in

Antarctic Ecosystems. Ecological Change and Conservation (ed. by K.R. Kerry and G. Hempel), Berlin, Germany. Benninghoff, W.S. and W.N. Bonner, 1985. Man’s Impact on the Antarctic Environment:

A

procedure

for

evaluating

impacts

and

logistic

activities. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, England. Croxall, J. P. and E.D. Kirkwood, 1979. The Distribution of Penguins on the

Antarctic

Peninsula

and

Islands

of

the

Scotia

Sea,

British

to

seabird

Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, England. Emslie,

S.,

1997.

productivity

Natural

and

and

human-induced

conservation

in

impacts

Antarctica:

a

review

and

perspectives. In Cumulative Impacts in Antarctica: Minimisation and Management, The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Washington. Forrest, S. and Naveen, R., Prevalence of Leucism in Pygoscelid Penguins of the Antarctic Peninsula, Waterbirds 23 (2): 283-285 (2000). Hofman, R.J. and Jatko, J., (eds.), 2002. Assessment of the Possible Cumulative Environmental Impacts of Commercial Ship-Based Tourism in the Antarctic Peninsula Area: Proceedings of a Workshop Held in La Jolla

California,

7-9

June

2000,

National

Science

Foundation,

Washington, DC. Naveen, R., 1996. Human Activity and Disturbance: Building An Antarctic Site

Inventory,

In

R.

Ross,

E.

Hofman,

and

L.

Quetin

(eds.)

Foundations for Ecosystem Research in the Western Antarctic Peninsula Region. American Geophysical Union. Washington. pp. 389-400. Naveen, R., 1997a. Compendium of Antarctic Peninsula Visitor Sites: A Report

to

the

Governments

of

the

United

States

and

the

United

10

Kingdom,

US

Department

of

State

and

UK

Foreign

and

Commonwealth

Office. Naveen, R., 1997b. The Oceanites Site Guide to the Antarctic Peninsula, Oceanites, Inc., Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA. Naveen, R., 1999. Visitor landings in the Antarctic Peninsula, 1989-99. Unpublished

report

submitted

to

the

US

Environmental

Protection

Agency, November 15, 1999. Naveen, R., Forrest, S. C., Dagit, R. G., Blight, L. K., Trivelpiece, W. Z., and Trivelpiece, S. G., Censuses of penguin, blue-eyed shag, and southern giant petrel populations in the Antarctic Peninsula region, 1994-2000, Polar Record 36 (199): 323-334 (2000). Naveen, R., Forrest, S. C., Dagit, R. G., Blight, L. K., Trivelpiece, W. Z., and Trivelpiece, S. G., Zodiac landings by tourist ships in the Antarctic Peninsula region, 1989-99, Polar Record 37 (201): 121-132 (2001). Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), Subcommittee on Bird Biology (Ed. by E. Woehler and J. Croxall), 1996. The Status and Trends of Antarctic and Subantarctic Seabirds. Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources,

2001

(revised).

CEMP

Standard

Methods

for

Monitoring

Studies. Hobart, Australia. Woehler, E. J., 1993. The Distribution and Abundance of Antarctic and Subantarctic Penguins. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, England.

11