Theme 5: Anthropogenic signatures in Antarctica: the race against pollution and other pressures [White paper]

Theme 5 examines the impacts of human activities on Antarctica, including scientific operations, tourism, fisheries, and shipping, and their interactions with climate change, with the aim of informing environmental policy within and beyond the Antarctic Treaty System. These pressures generate chemical and plastic pollution, black carbon emissions, underwater noise, wildlife disturbance, the introduction of invasive species, and antimicrobial resistance, affecting ecosystem resilience. The theme seeks to quantify and monitor these anthropogenic pressures through standardized, internationally coordinated protocols across chemical, biological, ecological, and cultural dimensions during InSync. Key topics cover chemical pollutants and plastics, underwater soundscapes, tourism impacts, eDNA and AMR, marine pollution effects on phytoplankton and climate feedback, and the cultural legacies of historic expeditions. Strategies include long-term monitoring, harmonized sampling, remote sensing, in-situ measurements, and modelling to capture spatial and temporal patterns, identify ecological hotspots, and assess cumulative impacts. By integrating data across disciplines and enabling open-access platforms, Theme 5 supports predictive risk assessment, science-based mitigation, and conservation strategies under the Antarctic Treaty System, providing a framework to detect anthropogenic signatures and protection of Antarctic ecosystems in a changing planet.