Antarctic scientific collaboration: The role of the scar

Abstract

The early national expeditions to Antarctica were short-term, with science usually driven by the interests and opportunities of those scientists who were taken along. Some expeditions made important collections of both data and specimens that proved crucial in establishing why more research should be funded. However, in those early days, there was little coordination other than attempts to use similar instruments and protocols for collecting physical data such as magnetic and meteorological records. With our present-day sophisticated communications, aerial and oceanic surveys, regular access to scientific stations and ships across Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, and research on and around the continent by many nations, collaboration is essential to make the most of the resources. Establishing the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) in 1958 proved to be a crucial step in developing the Antarctic scientific community and maximising the value of research across all scientific fields. In parallel to this, SCAR has also developed a major role as the primary scientific advisor to the Antarctic Treaty Parties on scientific and environmental matters.