Understanding the values and perceptions of base personnel to improve conservation management and policy in Antarctica

The effectiveness of conservation in Antarctica is of critical global concern. Yet information on the impacts of increasing human activities in the region has been limited to date. Improved knowledge is critical for understanding the effectiveness of conservation, and evaluating how increasing human activity may influence the future of the continent. With no permanent human presence in Antarctica, personnel temporarily stationed at research bases provide a unique source of local and experiential knowledge on human activity and local changes in environment. In this paper, we report on the use of focus groups and participatory mapping activities with personnel at Scott Base, Ross Island, to explore perceptions of how Antarctica is used and valued. We found that all base personnel were concerned that increasing human activity would increase negative human impact at sites designated as Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. However, a quarter of participants also saw benefits to increasing human activity, including the potential to enhance advocacy for the future of the continent and increase support for environmental protection. Notably, base personnel perceived Antarctic Specially Protected Areas as being valued differently to the values identified in management documents, calling into question the clarity around ASPA designation and how well the protected area network in Antarctica is understood. Such information can be integrated with data from the natural sciences to develop a more complete picture of human impact on the continent, and can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation management in Antarctica.