This indicator is no longer maintained, and is considered OBSOLETE. INDICATOR DEFINITION Measurements of sea surface salinity in the Southern Ocean. Measurements are averaged over latitude bands: 40-50 deg S, 50-60 deg S, 60 deg S-continent. TYPE OF INDICATOR There are three types of indicators used in this report: 1.Describes the CONDITION of important elements of a system; 2.Show the extent of the major PRESSURES exerted on a system; 3.Determine RESPONSES to either condition or changes in the condition of a system. This indicator is one of: CONDITION RATIONALE FOR INDICATOR SELECTION Australian and Antarctic climate and marine living resources are sensitive to the distribution of ocean salinity. Sea surface values are relatively easy to monitor, and therefore can be used as a relevant indicator of the state of the ocean environment. The information provided by long records of sea surface salinity is needed to detect changes in the Southern Ocean resulting from climate change; to test climate model predictions; to develop an understanding of links between the Ocean and climate variability in Australia; and for sustainable development of marine resources. DESIGN AND STRATEGY FOR INDICATOR MONITORING PROGRAM Spatial scale: Southern Ocean: 40 deg S to the Antarctic continent Frequency: Monthly averages over summer Measurement technique: Measurements of sea surface salinity from Antarctic supply ships. RESEARCH ISSUES Sea surface salinity has not been previously used as a spatially averaged environmental indicator. Some experimentation with past data are required to define the most appropriate averaging strategy. New technologies like profiling Argo floats need to be exploited to provide better spatial and temporal coverage of salinity in the Southern Ocean. LINKS TO OTHER INDICATORS Sea surface temperature Sea ice extent and concentration Chlorophyll concentrations concentrations

This indicator is no longer maintained, and is considered OBSOLETE. INDICATOR DEFINITION The northern limit of the pack ice as defined by the 15% concentration of sea ice determined by the SSM/I instrument or its replacement. TYPE OF INDICATOR There are three types of indicators used in this report: 1.Describes the CONDITION of important elements of a system; 2.Show the extent of the major PRESSURES exerted on a system; 3.Determine RESPONSES to either condition or changes in the condition of a system. This indicator is one of: CONDITION RATIONALE FOR INDICATOR SELECTION Climate is affected by complex interactions between the sea ice and the atmosphere and ocean. The sea ice extent and concentration is determined by the oceanic and atmospheric forcing. There is evidence of variations in the sea ice extent and concentration on a synoptic time scale as storms pass through the region, and variations in sea ice extent on a multi-year time frame with forcing caused by the Antarctic circumpolar wave. Over the past 20 years, there is limited evidence of an increase in spatial ice extent and in the length of time that ice is present. Continued monitoring of sea ice extent and concentration may provide insights into the dynamics of the Southern Ocean and help to predict future climate. DESIGN AND STRATEGY FOR INDICATOR MONITORING PROGRAM NASA uses a combination of satellite passive microwave sensors to measure the brightness values over sea ice covered regions. They then use an algorithm (referred to as the 'team' algorithm) to calculate the ice concentration and to determine the ice edge. The data are available globally on a daily or monthly basis. RESEARCH ISSUES Currently, NASA intends to maintain a series of satellite microwave sensors to continue to monitor sea ice extent and concentration. Ongoing research to interpret the data are currently being carried out at the AAD and the Antarctic and Southern Ocean CRC. Links with other indicators The sea ice extent and concentration has a large impact on the surface salinity and temperatures. Thus strong links with sea surface salinity and sea surface temperatures.

This dataset contains records of ice thickness and snow thickness from Mawson, Antarctica. Measurements were attempted on a weekly basis and have been recorded since 1954 and are ongoing, although this record only contains data up until the end of 1989. The observations are not continuous however. The dataset is available via the provided URL. These data were also collected as part of ASAC projects 189 and 741. Logbooks(s): Glaciology Sea Ice Log, Mawson 1969 Glaciology Mawson Sea Ice Logs, 1995-2000

This indicator is no longer maintained, and is considered OBSOLETE. INDICATOR DEFINITION A count of visits and visitor numbers to Australian Antarctic Territory sites and Australia's sub-Antarctic islands by Australian and overseas tour operators and private vessels. Data are also available for Australian tour operators that visit other (non-AAT) areas of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands. TYPE OF INDICATOR There are three types of indicators used in this report: 1.Describes the CONDITION of important elements of a system; 2.Show the extent of the major PRESSURES exerted on a system; 3.Determine RESPONSES to either condition or changes in the condition of a system. This indicator is one of: PRESSURE RATIONALE FOR INDICATOR SELECTION Shipborne Antarctic tourist numbers have quadrupled in the past fifteen years. Antarctic tourism is expected to continue to exhibit high growth, particularly if more large cruise ships begin operating there. Antarctic tourism is currently concentrated around the Antarctic Peninsula area and associated sub-Antarctic islands. Apart from visits to Australia's sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island (which is managed by the State of Tasmania), there are currently only limited tourist visits to the AAT and other Australian sub-Antarctic islands. It is, however, important to track these activities due to the potential risk of cumulative environmental impact: the areas of most interest to tourists are those with concentrations of wildlife, with unique physical or biotic characteristics, or with heritage sites. Increased visits by tourist ships in Antarctic waters also increase the potential for oil spills, wildlife disturbance, effluent/waste discharges and introduced diseases. DESIGN AND STRATEGY FOR INDICATOR MONITORING PROGRAM Spatial scale: Australian Antarctic Territory and Australian sub-Antarctic islands visited by tour operators. Data from the Antarctic Peninsula (not Australian territory) is also included, from 2001-02 onwards, based on the reports of Australian tour operators who operate on the Peninsula. Note that Australian operators typically carry fewer than 10% of the total number of tourists in the Peninsula region, so the data does not reflect the overall pressure on that region. Frequency: Collected/reported annually, based on austral summer season for tour activities. Measurement technique: Data collected via initial environmental impacts assessments (EIAs) provided by operators/owners and via post visit reports. These data can be collated as required. Data on tourist visits/activities are also collected by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), although this information is predominantly about operators who are members of IAATO. Australia must provide information on private vessel activities in the Antarctic Treaty Area as part of Antarctic Treaty reporting obligations. Information from operators is also sought, and provided in the EIAs, on the type of operation and tourist activities and measures taken to minimise environmental impacts, e.g. oil spills contingencies. RESEARCH ISSUES Several issues are of concern with regard to increased tourism activity in the Antarctic region. The potential for cumulative impacts needs to be explored and methods developed to identify and quantify impacts at specific sites. Increased tourist and ship activity has the potential to cause pollution. Implications for increased pollutant loads in Antarctic ecosystems need to be addressed and acceptable levels of pollutants need to be identified. The introduction of exotic pests and/or diseases due to tourist activities has the potential to considerably affect Antarctic ecosystems. Work needs to be done to assess introductions that may occur and that have already occurred, and the impacts of these introductions.

This dataset contains records of ice thickness and snow thickness from Casey, Antarctica. Measurements were attempted on a weekly basis and were recorded between 1979 and 1992. The observations are not continuous however. The dataset is available via the provided URL. This data were also collected as part of ASAC projects 189 and 741. The Casey fast ice thickness data are no longer being collected.

This dataset contains records of ice thickness and snow thickness from Davis Antarctica. Measurements were attempted on a weekly basis and have been recorded since 1957 and are ongoing, although data have only been archived here until 2002. The observations are not continuous however. The dataset is available via the provided URL. This data were also collected as part of ASAC projects 189 and 741. Logbook(s): Glaciology Davis Sea Ice Logs 1992-1999

This indicator is no longer maintained, and is considered OBSOLETE. INDICATOR DEFINITION Regular measurements of the thickness of the fast ice, and of the snow cover that forms on it, are made through drilled holes at several sites near both Mawson and Davis. TYPE OF INDICATOR There are three types of indicators used in this report: 1.Describes the CONDITION of important elements of a system; 2.Show the extent of the major PRESSURES exerted on a system; 3.Determine RESPONSES to either condition or changes in the condition of a system. This indicator is one of: CONDITION RATIONALE FOR INDICATOR SELECTION Each season around the end of March, the ocean surface around Antarctica freezes to form sea ice. Close to the coast in some regions (e.g. near Mawson and Davis stations) this ice remains fastened to the land throughout the winter and is called fast ice. The thickness and growth rate of fast ice are determined purely by energy exchanges at the air-ice and ice-water interfaces. This contrasts with moving pack ice where deformational processes of rafting and ridging also determine the ice thickness. The maximum thickness that the fast ice reaches, and the date on which it reaches that maximum, represent an integration of the atmospheric and oceanic conditions. Changes in ice thickness represent changes in either oceanic or atmospheric heat transfer. Thicker fast ice reflects either a decrease in air temperature or decreasing oceanic heat flux. These effects can be extrapolated to encompass large-scale ocean-atmosphere processes and potentially, global climate change. DESIGN AND STRATEGY FOR INDICATOR MONITORING PROGRAM Spatial Scale: At sites near Australian Antarctic continental stations: Davis; Mawson. Frequency: at least weekly, reported annually Measurement Technique: Tape measurements through freshly drilled 5 cm diameter holes in the ice at marked sites. RESEARCH ISSUES To more effectively analyse the changes in Antarctic fast ice a detailed long-term dataset of sea ice conditions needs to be established. This would provide a baseline for future comparisons and contribute important data for climate modelling and aid the detection of changes that may occur due to climate or environmental change. LINKS TO OTHER INDICATORS SOE Indicator 1 - Monthly mean air temperatures at Australian Antarctic stations SOE Indicator 40 - Average sea surface temperatures in latitude bands 40-50oS, 50-60oS, 60oS-continent SOE Indicator 41 - Average sea surface salinity in latitude bands: 40-50oS, 50-60oS, 60oS-continent SOE Indicator 42 - Antarctic sea ice extent and concentration The fast ice data are also available as a direct download via the url given below. The data are in word documents, and are divided up by year and site (there are three sites (a,b,c) at each station). Snow thickness data have also been included. A pdf document detailing how the observations are collected is also available for download.

This indicator is no longer maintained, and is considered OBSOLETE. INDICATOR DEFINITION Demographic parameters for the Adelie penguin at Bechervaise Island near Mawson. TYPE OF INDICATOR There are three types of indicators used in this report: 1.Describes the CONDITION of important elements of a system; 2.Show the extent of the major PRESSURES exerted on a system; 3.Determine RESPONSES to either condition or changes in the condition of a system. This indicator is one of: CONDITION RATIONALE FOR INDICATOR SELECTION The Adelie penguin is a relatively long lived sea bird dependent on krill. It is expected that major changes in the availability of food (krill) to sea birds will be reflected ultimately in recruitment into the breeding population. Causes of changes in the availability of krill relate directly to changes in both the biological and physical environment brought about by man made or natural means. Ageing populations may give an outward appearance of stability in terms of numbers at a breeding colony but such a condition may mask a decline in recruitment. To determine whether there are environmental influences on the population it is necessary to undertake detailed demographic studies. Demographic studies carried out over many years on animal populations comprising known age cohorts are required to determine those factors responsible for any observed changes in recruitment and/or mortality. Population reconstruction techniques provide estimates of recruitment and mortality and relate these functions to population size and/or population trends. These studies may alert us to possible changes in the ecosystem particularly related to the availability of food to the penguins or changes to the physical environment. The identification of the cause of changes must come from detailed investigations of food availability and the environment carried out at the same time. Annual breeding success at Bechervaise Island (eggs laid to chicks fledged) varies enormously from 0 in catastrophic years to above 1 for good seasons. The population at Bechervaise Island near Mawson has been monitored since 1990 as part of the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program. Chicks and adults have been tagged annually. The number of breeding pairs has increased slightly between 1990-2001, but changes in the non -breeding population are unknown. Demographic studies based on the return rate of birds tagged as chicks provide information on trends in the overall population and the net rate of recruitment. Since it is intended that this program be undertaken indefinitely it makes this population an excellent subject for monitoring in the context of the SOE. DESIGN AND STRATEGY FOR INDICATOR MONITORING PROGRAM Spatial Scale: Restricted to the Mawson region. Similar studies are carried out by other national research programs at Terra Nova Bay (Italy) and on the Antarctic Peninsula (USA). Frequency: Annual Measurement Technique: The Adelie penguin population at Bechervaise Island consists of approximately 1800 breeding pairs. Each breeding season since 1990/91 in excess of 250 chicks have been given implanted electronic identification tags. The return of birds to their natal colony has been detected automatically by the Automated Penguin Monitoring System (APMS)or by checking all birds with a hand held tag reader. Additional and associated biological data as prescribed by CCAMLR (1997 are collected to aid interpretation of demographic and other trends. To detect trends in the population size and in demographic parameters, particularly of recruitment, it will be necessary to maintain an annual tagging program of chicks and recording of all tagged birds. RESEARCH ISSUES comprehensive analysis of the data collected over the duration of this study is required to determine natural variation and potential anthropogenic influences affecting Adelie penguin population dynamics. LINKS TO OTHER INDICATORS Sea-ice extent and concentration.

Publication of these results is currently in progress with the Journal of Animal Ecology. Summary 1.An efficient method of describing change in Antarctic marine ecosystems is long-term monitoring of land-breeding marine predators. High-level predators are used to index the state of environment on the notion that perturbations in the ecosystem will affect their diet, reproductive performance and other demographics. For this purpose, Weddell seals breeding at the Vestfold Hills have been marked and re-sighted for the past 28 years (1973 - 2000). 2.Successful reproduction requires considerable energetic resources. The difference between rates of conception and rates of parturition suggests pregnant females abort reproductive attempts when their energy stores are low. In this way, annual rates of reproduction (i.e. parturition) are a measure of foraging efficiency. 3.Previous attempts to estimate Weddell seal reproduction have been biased by different rates of re-sighting breeding and non-breeding females. We used multistate mark and re-sight models to account for this and other variables when estimating reproductive rate. 4.The amplitude of temporal variation was much greater for reproduction than for survivorship, indicating that parous (breeding) females maximised survival by reproducing less. This strategy could be successful in fluctuating environments because seals live longer and experience more reproductive occasions. 5.The population had low reproductive rates from 1983 to 1985 and throughout the 1990s. In those years, potential recruitment into breeding groups was reduced to 50 - 60 % of the cohort before viable pups were even born. 6.Even in years of low reproductive rate, typically half (52%) of the breeding females produced pups. It seemed that individuals differed in their foraging success and thus body condition and / or their functional response to this. 7.There was no evidence for costs of reproduction. We infer that the seals responded to environmental conditions prior to parturition, as opposed to proceeding with reproduction when inadequately resourced and depleting energy resources such that they had lower probability of surviving or reproducing the following year. 8.Synthesis and applications: This study demonstrates a method of estimating reproductive rate that overcomes bias inherent in traditional methods. Estimated in this way, we propose that reproductive rate is the best indicator of the state of marine ecosystems that can be indexed for Weddell seals. The fields in this dataset are: Year Standard Error Upper confidence interval Lower confidence interval Breeding probability Upper error bar Lower error bar

Antarctica is the world's greatest remaining wilderness area. It plays a significant role in many global environmental issues such as wind and water currents and world weather patterns. State of the Environment Reporting: - provides a 'snap-shot' of the status of the Antarctic environment - relies on long-term monitoring of environmental and other variables - allows the detection of trends and patterns, which may be due to natural variability or human-induced (anthropogenic) pressures Why are we interested? State of the Environment Reporting allows us to: - assess the quality of the Antarctic environment - identify threats to the Antarctic environment - monitor the pressures we exert on it and track the impact and efficiency of our activities in the Antarctic. How do we do it? State of the Environment Reporting is based on environmental indicators. Indicators: - are data that summarise physical, chemical, biological or socio-economic factors which best represent the key elements of the environment - are grouped into themes We have developed a web-accessible computer system called SIMR that manages the indicator data, metadata, and custodian information. The system automatically prompts custodians for data and evaluations when required and can produce reports on indicators via the web whenever requested.