Argentina and Chile are gateways to Antarctica and important stewards of the frozen continent. Since 2011, the two countries have collaborated on efforts to establish a marine protected area (MPA) through the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, an international body responsible for protecting the Southern Ocean, home to some of the world’s most biodiverse marine habitats.
The Southern Ocean is facing unprecedented environmental pressures amid worsening impacts of the climate crisis. Troublingly, scientists warn that El Niño will intensify these warming trends, accelerate ice loss in Antarctica and increase global sea-level rise. To confront these threats, Argentine and Chilean diplomatic efforts are in overdrive to protect the Western Antarctic Peninsula; at an international conference in Santiago next month, member states will vote on the MPA proposal from Argentina and Chile, as well as on two other proposed MPAs in the Weddell Sea and East Antarctic.
Please join the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program, Polar Institute, and Environmental Change and Security Program on Wednesday, June 14 at 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss the international debate over marine protection in Antarctica and the importance of the Southern Ocean to biodiversity, multilateral environmental cooperation and scientific research.
