Almost
a
year
ago,
Professor
Kirsten
Müller
from
the
department
of
biology
embarked
on
a
life-changing
voyage
to
Antarctica.
During
this
journey
with
Homeward
Bound,
Müller
and
98
other
women
leaders
from
around
the
globe
encountered
the
rugged
but
beautiful
landscape
of
the
Antarctic
Peninsula.
“The
impact
of
human
activity
was
clearly
evident
from
warming
temperatures
on
the
Antarctic
peninsula,
invasive
species, melting
sea
ice,
and
shifting
and
decreasing
populations
of
numerous
species,”
recalled
Müller.
“We
became
critically
aware
human
activity
is
having
a
profound
impact
even
in
this
isolated
region
of
our
planet.”
This
October,
spurred
by
on
ship
conversations
from
that
voyage,
Carolyn
Hogg
and
other
Homeward
Bound
4
members
published
a
call
to
action
in
the
prestigious
academic
journal
Nature.
This
article,
accompanied
by
the
signatures
of
289
women
scientists
and
Homeward
Bound
Alumni
including
Müller,
is
calling
for
the
establishment
of
a
new
marine
protected
area
along
the
Western
Antarctic
Peninsula.
The
suggested
protected
area
was
first
proposed
in
2018,
and
is
currently
being
discussed
this
week
by
the
Commission
for
the
Conservation
of
Antarctic
Marine
Living
Resources
(CCAMLR)
–
the
group
that
manages
the
Southern
Ocean’s
resources.
The
call
to
action
in
this
article
and
by
Müller
and
the
Homeward
Bound
alumni
recognizes
four
main
factors
that
are
putting
the
Antarctic
Peninsula
at
risk:
overfishing,
tourism,
expanding
research
infrastructures,
and
climate
change.
As
the
northernmost
point
of
Antarctica,
and
also
the
closest
to
the
tip
of
Southern
America,
it
is
the
easiest
place
to
travel
to
on
the
continent.
This
has
led
to
a
tripling
of
fishing
in
the
area
since
2000,
a
doubling
of
tourists
in
the
past
decade,
and
the
highest
concentration
of
research
stations
on
the
continent.
The
proposed
marine
protection
area
calls
for
fishing
limits
in
some
areas,
and
fishing
bans
closer
to
the
coasts
where
krill
fishing
has
a
direct
impact
to
the
food
chains
and
ecosystems
of
the
Antarctic.
It
would
also
create
a
systematic
way
to
protect
the
area,
while
allowing
for
sustainable
research
efforts
and
environmentally
responsible
tourism,
as
opposed
to
the
piecemeal
management
currently
in
place
around
the
peninsula.
“I
am
so
proud
of
my
Homeward
Bound
4
colleagues
and
to
also
be
one
of
289
women
in
STEMM
who
are
signatory
to
this
article
to
call
for
marine
protected
area
in
Antarctica,”
says
Müller.
“It’s
almost
a
year
since
I
had
the
privilege
to
spend
three
weeks
with
these
amazing
women
in
Antarctica.
As
a
phycologist
(a
scientist
who
studies
algae
and
seaweeds),
it
is
critical
that
we
consider
our
impacts
on
the
polar
regions
of
our
planet
and
protect
these
fragile
ecosystems,
including
our
own
Arctic.”
If
you
would
like
to
learn
more
about
the
proposed
protected
area
in
the
Antarctic
Peninsula
and
add
your
voice
to
the
call
for
action,
visit
Antarctica
Now.
You
can
also
follow
them
on
Twitter
and
Instagram.