National Geographic - USA (2021-11)

Helen Scales wrote about the threats to emperor

penguins in the June 2020 issue of the magazine.

Photographer Thomas P. Peschak is the director

of storytelling for the Save Our Seas Foundation.

in addition to 183,000 square miles under the
Ross Ice Shelf—in all, an area roughly the size
of Mexico.
“Everybody was applauding and hollering and
hugging and crying,” says Brooks, who was pres-
ent throughout the negotiations. “It was truly
this remarkable moment.”
In June 2021 the G7, a gathering of government
leaders from some of the world’s richest nations,
gave its full support to the commission’s interest
in establishing a network of protected areas in the
Southern Ocean. Along with the Antarctic Penin-
sula proposal, two other areas—the East Antarc-
tic and the Weddell Sea—are being considered
for MPA status. The EU, Australia, Norway, the
United Kingdom, and Uruguay are taking lead-
ership roles. The United States—represented by

former Secretary of State John Kerry, who was

instrumental in the Ross Sea negotiations—is

actively engaged again after being on the side-

lines during Donald Trump’s presidency.

The October 2021 meeting of the commission

was to take place online because of the corona-

virus pandemic, with any hugging virtual this

time. This year is the 60th anniversary of the

Antarctic Treaty coming into force, adding to the

optimism of those seeking greater protections

for the Southern Ocean. As Mercedes Santos

says, “It’s a reminder that we have to do, again,

great things.” j

Adélies are the most

ice dependent of the

penguins along the

peninsula’s western

coast, where their num-

bers are in decline as ice

keeps melting. Protect-

ing this region of the

Southern Ocean “will

not prevent the impact

of climate change but

will reduce the stress

on the ecosystem,”

says Argentine marine

biologist Mercedes

Santos, who has been

instrumental in draw-

ing up plans for the new

marine protected area.

PLANET

The National Geographic

Society’s Pristine Seas

project has helped create

24 of the largest marine

protected areas worldwide,

covering 2.5 million square

miles, and aims to help

protect at least 30 percent

of the ocean by 2030.

Learn more at natgeo.org/

pristineseas.

AN ICY WORLD IN MELTDOWN 121