Experiments were done to quantify the Total Hydrocarbon Content (THC) in water accommodated fractions (WAF) of three fuels; Special Antarctic Blend diesel (SAB), Marine Gas Oil diesel (MGO) and an intermediate grade of marine bunker Fuel Oil (IFO 180).These tests measured the hydrocarbon content in freshly decanted WAFs and the resulting loss of hydrocarbons over time when WAFs were exposed in temperature controlled cabinets at 0°C. These tests are detailed in Dataset AAS_3054_THC_WAF. The results of hydrocarbon WAF tests were used to calculate integrated concentration from measured hydrocarbon concentrations weighted to time to be used as the exposure concentrations for toxicity tests with Antarctic invertebrates. Exposure concentrations used to model sensitivity estimates were derived by calculating the time weighted mean THC between pairs of successive measurements in the 100% WAFs and dilutions to give overall exposure concentrations for each time point.These modelled concentrations integrated the loss of hydrocarbons over time, and renewal of test solutions at 4 d intervals Exposure concentrations of THC in µg/L are shown for endpoints from 24 h to 21 d

Untreated, macerated wastewater effluent has been discharged to the sea at Davis Station since 2005, when the old wastewater treatment infrastructure was removed. This environmental assessment was instigated to guide the choice of the most suitable wastewater treatment facility at Davis. The assessment will support decisions that enable Australia to meet the standards set for the discharge of wastewaters in Antarctica in national legislation (Waste Management Regulations of the Antarctic Treaty Environmental Protection Act - ATEP) and to meet international commitments (the Madrid Protocol) and to meet Australia's aspirations to be a leader in Antarctic environmental protection. The overall objective was to provide environmental information in support of an operational infrastructure project to upgrade wastewater treatment at Davis. This information is required to ensure that the upgrade satisfies national legislation (ATEP/Waste Management Regulations), international commitments (the Madrid Protocol) and maintain the AAD's status as an international leader in environmental management. The specific objectives were to: 1. Wastewater properties: Determine the properties of discharged wastewater (contaminant levels, toxicity, microbiological hazards) as the basis for recommendations on the required level of treatment and provide further consideration of what might constitute adequate dilution and dispersal for discharge to the nearshore marine environment 2. Dispersal and dilution characteristics of marine environment: Assess the dispersing characteristics of the immediate nearshore marine environment in the vicinity of Davis Station to determine whether conditions at the existing site of effluent discharge are adequate to meet the ATEP requirement of initial dilution and rapid dispersal. 3. Environmental impacts: Describe the nature and extent of impacts to the marine environment associated with present wastewater discharge practices at Davis and determine whether wastewater discharge practices have adversely affected the local environment. 4. Evaluate treatment options: Evaluate the different levels of treatment required to mitigate and/or prevent various environmental impacts and reduce environmental risks.

Depth related changes in sediment characteristics and the composition of infaunal invertebrate communities were investigated at two sites in the Windmill Islands around Casey station, East Antarctica, during the 2006/07 summer. Sediment characteristics were investigated via sediment cores (5cm deep x 5cm diameter) collected from 4 depths (7m, 11m, 17, and 22m) from each of three transects at two sites (McGrady Cove and O'Brien Bay 1). Measured sediment characteristics included grain size distribution, total organic carbon and the concentration of a range of heavy metals. This work was conducted as part of ASAC 2201 (ASAC_2201).

This project monitored plastics at the four-bays area on Heard Island and at Sandell Bay on Macquarie Island. It characterised plastics by infra-red spectroscopy both from the beach collection and small pieces from fur-seal stomachs and cormorant boluses. The aim was to assess human impact on the ocean by measuring plastic abundance and type.

This dataset contains the results of replicate experiments which measured the total hydrocarbon content (THC) in water accommodated fractions (WAFs) of three fuels; Special Antarctic Blend diesel, Marine Gas oil and intermediate fuel oil IFO 180.

Live O. orensanzi were found in the AAD's Marine Research Facility emerging from sediments during feeding on 3 July 2014. It is likely that live specimens were included in samples collected for another species, Antarctonemertes sp. from intertidal rocky areas at Beall Island near Casey station (66 30.4265 degree S, 110 45.851 degrees E), East Antarctica in January and February 2014. It is also possible that the O. orensanzi were collected from southeast Newcomb Bay, adjacent to Casey station on 2 and 3 of February 2012 (Figure 4), and survived in the Marine Research Facility's aquarium, but this is considered less likely. Experiments were conducted at the AAD's quarantine facility in Kingston, Tasmania, between 19 July and 2 September 2014. This metadata record contains the results from bioassays conducted to show the response of Antarctic Polychaetes Ophryotrocha orensanzi to contamination from combinations if IFO 180 fuel and the fuel dispersants Ardrox 6129, Slickgone LTSW and Slickgone NS. Test solutions were prepared following the methods of Singer et al. (2000) with modifications by Barron and Ka'aihue (2003) and others. Water accommodated fractions of fuel in water (WAF) were produced using a 1:25 (v/v) fuel to FSW ratio in accordance with studies by Payne et al. (2014) and Brown et al., (2016) to facilitate comparability of results. Chemically enhanced water accommodated fractions (CEWAF) were made following a lower 1:100 (v/v) fuel to FSW ratio. A 1:20 (v/v) dispersant to fuel ratio was used for all three dispersants, an application rate of 1:20 dispersant to fuel rate was used both because this is the standard default application rate used in the field and to increase comparability to previous studies. Dispersant only mixes were made according to CEWAF specifications, substituting FSW for fuel. Test mixes were prepared in dark temperature-controlled cabinets at 0 plus or minus 1 degree C. Mixes were made in two L or five L glass aspirator bottles using a magnetic stirrer. Mix preparation followed the pre-vortex method in which a 20 - 25 % vortex was achieved in 0 plus or minus 1 degree C FSW before addition of the test materials. Once added, fuel was allowed to cool for a further 10 minutes before subsequent addition of dispersants during CEWAF preparation. Mixes were stirred for a total of 42 h with an additional settling time of 6 h following the recommendations determined as part of the hydrocarbon chemistry component of this project (Kotzakoulakis, unpublished data). The mixture was subsequently serially diluted to achieve the desired concentrations. Test concentrations were 100%, 50%, 20% and 10% for WAF and 10%, 5%, 1% and 0.1% for CEWAF. Concentrations for dispersant only treatments mimicked CEWAF in order to be directly comparable. Test solutions were kept in sealed glass bottles with minimal headspace at 0 plus or minus 1 degree C for a maximum of 3 h before use. Test dilutions were remade each four day period to replenish hydrocarbons lost through evaporation and absorption to simulate a repeated pulse exposure to the contaminant. Ninety percent of the test solution volume was replaced for each beaker during each water change by gently tipping out the solution with minimal disturbance to the test organisms. Replacement solutions were chilled to the correct temperature and replenished immediately to avoid any temperature shock to test animals. Beakers were topped up with deionized water between water changes to maintain water quality and solution volume. Bioassays were conducted in cold temperature cabinets at 0 plus or minus 1 degree C and light regimes were set to 18 h light and 6 h dark to mimic Antarctic conditions used by Brown et al. (2017). Exposure vessels were 100 ml glass beakers containing 80 ml of test solution. Beakers were left open to allow for the evaporation of lighter fuel components. Each experiment consisted of four replicates per treatment concentration, with eight to 10 individuals per replicate (8 each for Slickgone NS, 10 each for Ardrox and LTSW). Experiments ran for 12 days with observations at 24 h, 48 h, 96 h, 7 d, 8 d, 10 d and 12 d. Mortality was assessed at each observation using a Leica MZ7.5 dissecting microscope. Mortality was determined by the absence of response to stimuli, specifically lack of movement in the maxillae or mandibles. No food was added during experiments to avoid inclusion of an additional exposure pathway. Aliquots of each test concentration were taken at the beginning and end of each experiment, as well as before and after each water change to analyse the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content. Duplicate 25 ml samples were taken for each test dilution and immediately extracted with a mixture of Dichloromethane spiked with an internal standard of BrC20 (1-bromoeicosane) and cyclooctane. Extractions were analysed using Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionisation Detection (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The measured concentrations were integrated following the methods of Payne et al. (2014) to obtain a profile of hydrocarbon content over each 12 d test period.

Direct Numerical Simulations are carried out at the ice ocean interface of 1.8 m long, inclined at angles, 50 degree, 65 degree and 90 degree from the horizontal where external source buoyancy is added as a boundary conditions with relative buoyancy B* 5, 7 and 10 times the wall buoyancy. The data set contains 1. Time averaged temperature, salinity and velocity fields of the flow at steady state where averaging windows are several times the respective buoyancy frequency for 90 degree, B* =1, 5,7,10; 50 degree, B*=1, 5, 7 respectively. 2. Tabulated, time averaged along-slope profiles of a) temperature, b) salinity, c) meltrate, d) plume velocity for 90 degree, B* =1, 5,7,10; 65 degree, B* =1, 5,7,10 and 50 degree, B*=1, 5, 7 respectively. 3. Tabulated, domain averaged meltrate, plume velocity for 90 degree, B* =1,3, 5,7,10; 65 degree, B* =1,3, 5,7,10 and 50 degree, B*=1,3, 5, 7 respectively.

Untreated, macerated wastewater effluent has been discharged to the sea at Davis Station since 2005, when the old wastewater treatment infrastructure was removed. This environmental assessment was instigated to guide the choice of the most suitable wastewater treatment facility at Davis. The assessment will support decisions that enable Australia to meet the standards set for the discharge of wastewaters in Antarctica in national legislation (Waste Management Regulations of the Antarctic Treaty Environmental Protection Act - ATEP) and to meet international commitments (the Madrid Protocol) and to meet Australia's aspirations to be a leader in Antarctic environmental protection. The overall objective was to provide environmental information in support of an operational infrastructure project to upgrade wastewater treatment at Davis. This information is required to ensure that the upgrade satisfies national legislation (ATEP/Waste Management Regulations), international commitments (the Madrid Protocol) and maintain the AAD's status as an international leader in environmental management. The specific objectives were to: 1. Wastewater properties: Determine the properties of discharged wastewater (contaminant levels, toxicity, microbiological hazards) as the basis for recommendations on the required level of treatment and provide further consideration of what might constitute adequate dilution and dispersal for discharge to the nearshore marine environment 2. Dispersal and dilution characteristics of marine environment: Assess the dispersing characteristics of the immediate nearshore marine environment in the vicinity of Davis Station to determine whether conditions at the existing site of effluent discharge are adequate to meet the ATEP requirement of initial dilution and rapid dispersal. 3. Environmental impacts: Describe the nature and extent of impacts to the marine environment associated with present wastewater discharge practices at Davis and determine whether wastewater discharge practices have adversely affected the local environment. 4. Evaluate treatment options: Evaluate the different levels of treatment required to mitigate and/or prevent various environmental impacts and reduce environmental risks.

Sediment cores (5cm diameter x 10cm deep), collected as part of the long-term monitoring of the Thala Valley waste disposal site clean-up (Casey station), were sectioned and a portion of each core analysed for a range of heavy metals. Metals were extracted from the sediment via a 4 hour 1M HCl acid extraction. Concentrations were gained from ICP-MS analysis of the resulting extracts (ICP-MS conducted at the School of Chemistry, University of Tasmania). Cores were collected from various control and potentially impacted sites in the Windmill Islands around Casey station. This work was conducted as part of ASAC 2201 (ASAC_2201).