The Last Ocean has teamed up with a number of international organisations to raise awareness about the Ross Sea and campaign for the establishment of a marine protected area (MPA) that would encompass the entire Ross Sea ecosystem, including the continental shelf and slope.
The proposal, collaboratively written by scientists and political campaigners from around the world, was coordinated by the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC). ASOC is the only accredited environmental non-governmental organisation within CCAMLR, and it has been granted non-voting observer status.
The proposal was presented to CCAMLR in September 2009.
More than 450 scientists have added to the weight of the ASOC proposal by signing a statement stressing that the Ross Sea's unique ecology, relatively undisturbed state, and long history of ongoing scientific research make it an incredible 'living laboratory' for the study of marine ecosystems. All agree that the Ross Sea's ecological integrity must be preserved through an MPA and that the Ross Sea would be a crucial component of a Southern Ocean reserve network.
