National antarctic programs and their impact on the environment

Abstract

This chapter describes the nature and scope of government operations in the Antarctic, touching briefly on the sub-Antarctic islands and also on the growing non-government tourism industry. Its aim is to provide the context for estimating the overall size and impression of the human footprint (i.e. the spatial extent of disturbance) and the degree to which human activity might pose a risk to the health of Antarctic wildlife. The consequences of the introduction and/or spread of disease, which is the subject of several other chapters in this book, largely depend on the nature of those activities.