Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-7jkgd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-24T00:15:34.388Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Spatial patterns of tour ship traffic in the Antarctic Peninsula region

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 November 2009

H.J. Lynch ,
K. Crosbie ,
W.F. Fagan  and
R. Naveen
H.J. Lynch*
Affiliation:
Biology Department, 3237 Biology-Psychology Building, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
K. Crosbie
Affiliation:
International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, 11 S. Angell St 302, Providence, RI 02906, USA
W.F. Fagan
Affiliation:
Biology Department, 3235 Biology-Psychology Building, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
R. Naveen
Affiliation:
Oceanites, Inc, PO Box 15259, Chevy Chase, MD 20825, USA
*
*[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Commercial, shipborne tourism along the Antarctic Peninsula grew exponentially between 1989–90 and 2007–08, raising concern about the impact such activity may have on the environment of the region. Previous analyses of Antarctic tourism have focused narrowly on patterns of visitation and potential impacts at terrestrial landing sites. Here, using 19 years of passenger landing statistics and five years of reconstructed ship itineraries, we explore patterns of tourism activities in the Antarctic Peninsula region using a spatially explicit network theory analysis of ship itineraries. We find that passenger landings and marine traffic are highly concentrated at a few specific locations and that growth in tourism activity occurred disproportionally rapidly at these sites relative to growth in visitation of the Peninsula as a whole. We conclude by discussing the pros and cons of spatially concentrated tourism activity and the associated implications for ecosystem management.

Keywords

Antarcticaenvironmental managementmarine trafficseabird conservationtourism
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 123 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

ATCP (Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties). 1966. Site guidelines for visitors (Resolution 27). Santiago, Chile. Available at www.ats.aq.Google Scholar
ATCP (Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties). 2005. Site guidelines for visitors (Resolution 5). Stockholm, Sweden. Available at www.ats.aq.Google Scholar
ATCP (Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties). 2006. Site guidelines for visitors (Resolution 2). Edinburgh, UK. Available at www.ats.aq.Google Scholar
Bosselman, F.P., Peterson, C.A.McCarthy, C. 1999. Managing tourism growth: issues and applications. Washington, DC: Island Press, 316 pp.Google Scholar
Carlini, A.R., Coria, N.R., Santos, M.M., Libertelli, M.M.Donini, G. 2007. Breeding success and population trends in Adélie penguins in areas with low and high levels of human disturbance. Polar Biology, 30, 917–924.Google Scholar
Cobley, N.D.Shears, J.R. 1999. Breeding performance of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) at a colony exposed to high levels of human disturbance. Polar Biology, 21, 355–360.Google Scholar
Crosbie, K. 1998. Monitoring and management of tourist landing sites in the maritime Antarctic. PhD thesis, University of Cambridge, 252 pp. [Unpublished].Google Scholar
Crosbie, K. 1999. Interactions between skuas Catharacta sp. and gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua in relation to tourist activities at Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Marine Ornithology, 27, 195–197.Google Scholar
Crosbie, K. 2005. Towards site guidelines: a preliminary analysis of Antarctic Peninsula site landing data, 1999/00–2003/04. Information Paper 081 Antarctic Treaty Consulatative Meeting XXVIII.Google Scholar
De Poorter, M.Dalziell, J.C., eds. 1997. Cumulative environmental impacts in Antarctica: minimization and management. Proceedings of the IUCN Workshop on cumulative impacts in Antarctica, Washington, DC, USA, 18–21 September 1996. Gland: IUCN, 145 pp.Google Scholar
Emslie, S.D. 1997. Natural and human induced impacts to seabird productivity and conservation in Antarctica: a review and perspectives. In De Poorter, M. & Dalziell, J.C., eds. Cumulative environmental impacts in Antarctica: minimization and management. Proceedings of the IUCN Workshop on cumulative impacts in Antarctica, Washington, DC, USA, 18–21 September 1996. Gland: IUCN, 32–41.Google Scholar
Enzenbacher, D. 1992. Tourists in Antarctica: numbers and trends. Polar Record, 28, 17–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, W.R.Patterson, D.L. 1997. Human disturbance and long-term changes in Adélie penguin populations: a natural experiment at Palmer Station, Antarctic Peninsula. In Battaglia, B., Valencia, J. & Walton, D.W.H., eds. Antarctic communities: species, structure, and survival. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 445–452.Google Scholar
Hammitt, W.E.Cole, D.N. 1987. Wildland recreation: ecology and management. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 376 pp.Google Scholar
Hendee, J.C., Stankey, G.H.Lucas, R.C. 1978. Wilderness management. Washingon, DC: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Misc. Publication 1365.Google Scholar
Holmes, N.D., Giese, M., Achurch, H., Robinson, S.Kriwoken, L.K. 2006. Behavior and breeding success of gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua in areas of low and high human activity. Polar Biology, 29, 399–412.Google Scholar
IAATO. 2006. Brief update on the Antarctic Peninsula landing site visits and site guidelines. Information Paper 66 for XXIX Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.Google Scholar
IAATO. 2007. Brief update on the Antarctic Peninsula landing site visits and site guidelines. Information Paper 114 for XXX Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting..Google Scholar
IAATO. 2008. Update on the Antarctic Peninsula landing site use and site guidelines. Information Paper 82 for XXXI Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.Google Scholar
Lynch, H.J., Fagan, W.F.Naveen, R. In press. Population trends and reproductive success at a frequently visited penguin colony on the western Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biology.Google Scholar
Naveen, R. 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, 243 pp.Google Scholar
Naveen, R. 2003. Compendium of Antarctic Peninsula visitor sites: a report to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: US Environmental Protection Agency.Google Scholar
Naveen, R., Forrest, S.C., Dagit, R.G., Blight, L.K., Trivelpiece, W.Z.Trivelpiece, S.G. 2001. Zodiac landings by tourist ships in the Antarctic Peninsula region, 1989–99. Polar Record, 37, 121–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nimon, A.J., Schroter, R.C.Stonehouse, B. 1995. Heart rate of disturbed penguins. Nature, 374, 415.Google Scholar
Pfeiffer, S.Peter, H.-U. 1994. Ecological studies toward the management of an Antarctic tourist landing site (Penguin Island, South Shetland Islands). Polar Record, 40, 345–353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SCAR. 2008. Human disturbance to wildlife in the broader Antarctic region: a review of findings. Working Paper 012 for XXXI Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.Google Scholar
Smith, R.C.Stammerjohn, S.E. 2001. Variations of surface air temperature and sea-ice extent in the western Antarctic Peninsula region. Annals of Glaciology, 33, 493–500.Google Scholar
Trathan, P.N., Forcada, J., Atkinson, R., Downie, R.H.Shears, J.A. 2008. Population assessments of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) breeding at an important Antarctic tourist site, Goudier Island, Port Lockroy, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica. Biological Conservation, 141, 3019–3028.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weaver, D. 2006. Sustainable tourism: theory and practice. Oxford: Elsevier, 352 pp.Google Scholar
Wolfram Research. 2007. Mathematica Edition, version 6.0. Champaign, IL: Wolfram Research, Inc.Google Scholar