South Sandwich Islands – An understudied isolated Southern Ocean archipelago

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  • M. A. Collins
    NERC (British Antarctic Survey)
  • T. Hart
    University of Oxford
  • O. T. Hogg
    Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)
  • P. R. Hollyman
    NERC (British Antarctic Survey)
  • C. M. Liszka
    NERC (British Antarctic Survey)
  • H. A. Stewart
    British Geological Survey
  • P. N. Trathan
    NERC (British Antarctic Survey)
The South Sandwich Islands are an isolated, oceanic, volcanically formed archipelago in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. The complex bathymetry, coupled with the location in the marginal sea-ice zone and the relationship with the ACC makes the region both productive and biodiverse. Although remote, the region is not pristine and has been subject to historic exploitation of cetaceans and currently supports small, sustainably managed fisheries for two species of toothfish. This special issue brings together a suite of papers that further our knowledge of the region and will contribute to the next review of the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area, which is due in 2023. The ten papers cover a broad range of subjects, adding to our knowledge of oceanography, pelagic and benthic ecology and of habitat use by mobile vertebrate predators such as cetaceans and penguins. Whilst the papers address some important knowledge gaps, they also highlight how little is known about this region and provide pointers to future research priorities.
Original languageEnglish
Article number105121
JournalDeep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
Volume201
Early online date25 May 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2022
Externally publishedYes
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