West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc (WAPSA)
Regional Working Group

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The West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc (WAPSA) region is an economically significant area for krill fisheries and the tourism industry. The area also harbours the most intense research activity in Antarctica. This region is characterized by rapidly increasing temperatures, retreating glaciers and shrinking sea ice. Therefore, observing efforts in this region are focused on monitoring changes in those environmental drivers and their effects on ecosystem functioning, krill populations and the top predators that rely on it.

The West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc Regional Working Group aims to assist delivery of coordinated and, where possible, standardised observations of essential physical, chemical and biological variables in the West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc region of the Southern Ocean in support of SOOS objectives. The group aims to facilitate scientific discussion to allow for leveraged research.


The working group is open for involvement to anyone working in the West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc region. Click the button below to receive updates and further relevant information about the SOOS WAPSA Regional Working Group.

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Objectives
The working group (WG) will fulfil the following terms of reference. To see the full terms of references please click here.

  1. Develop and enable regional-scale observing in the West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc region using SOOS best practice for observing system in the WAPSA.
     
  2. Identify and assemble legacy data sets and sampling techniques of ships and stations in the West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc region of the Southern Ocean in order to provide best practice sampling protocols for physical, chemical and biological parameters to enable their standardisation. Sampling approaches and recommendations will be made available on the SOOS Web site.
     
  3. Based on the experience in the WAPSA, identify gaps and bottlenecks in the observation systems and contribute to SOOS in addressing these issues. Facilitate co-ordinated and, where possible, multidisciplinary (physical, chemical and biological) observations of the West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc region of the Southern Ocean. Plans, operations and meta-data will be made available on the SOOS web site to help collaboration amongst the international community.
     
  4. Facilitate and, when needed, develop procedures to achieve efficient sharing of data across the science community according to SOOS data policy.
     
  5. Convene focussed sessions at national and international meetings, including SCAR and SCOR, and Facilitate synthesis products, to increase the awareness of the science community to the importance of the West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc region of the Southern Ocean.
     
  6. Provide support to International Program Office (IPO) by providing annual reports to be available at the SOOS SSC annual meeting, as well as providing content for the IPO website/newsletters on the activities and outcomes of the West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc working group.
     
  7. Develop a funding plan to sustain the Working Group activities.
     
  8. Have products coming out of the WG acknowledge SOOS.
Last modified: 09/Aug/2022/JB