Project

4180

Chief Investigator

STARK, Dr Jonathan (Jonny) - Australian Antarctic Division

Title

Human impacts of Antarctic stations on nearshore ecosystems

Project aims

Ice free coast and associated habitats (terrestrial and nearshore marine) are extremely rare in Antarctica, comprising less than 0.05% of the continent. Yet this is where human activity is concentrated in Antarctica and is where Antarctic Stations are generally built. This project aims to bring together several legacy projects examining human impacts at Australia's Antarctic Stations and provide management advice on mitigation measures for: effects of sewage and hydrocarbons in the marine environment; the remediation of an abandoned waste site; and quarrying on a snow petrel colony.

Project gallery


Project Summary of the Season 2012/13

Sewage, oil and abandoned waste dumps represent the three main potential human impacts of Australia's Antarctic stations. Our findings indicate that some of the commonly accepted impacts of sewage, such as nutrients and contaminants, may not be as of much concern as the introduction of microorganisms contained in sewage. We have developed an improved method for discriminating inputs of human sewage from the wastes of other animals such as seals, which can confuse the results of impact surveys. Oil is one of the main contaminants found in abandoned waste dumps, one of which was cleaned up at Casey in 2003/04. We are currently planning a return survey in 2014/15 to determine whether the ecosystem adjacent to this site has recovered since the cleanup. Recent work on the impact of oils has found that oil in marine sediments (where much of spilled oil eventually ends up) affects all components of this ecosystem, from microbes to microalgae to large invertebrates, for at least 5 years.

Project Summary of the Season 2013/14

In the past year the main focus was on data analysis and preparation of scientific papers but we also did some field work at Casey.
1) The Davis wastewater outfall impact assessment. We have had a paper accepted for publication which uses a new approach to assess the likelihood of human sewage contamination in Antarctica that is more sensitive than previous methods. We have submitted 3 other papers on: i) the physical, chemical and toxicological properties of the wastewater effluent; ii) the dilution and dispersal of the wastewater effluent around Davis; and iii) the impacts of effluent on the health of native fish around the station. Significant abnormalities in fish tissues were found to be more common around the noutfall than at control sites.
2) Hydrocarbon impacts experiment. We submitted one paper on the effects of oil on benthic microalgae (diatoms), which were found to be affected by oil for at least 5 years.
3) The long-term ecological monitoring of Thala Valley remediation at Casey. We published 2 papers: i) a comparison of the impacts of Casey Station with McMurdo Station on marine benthic communities. Casey is a typical sized station and McMurdo is very large in comparison, but the impacts of both appear to be similar, with reduced biodiversity at contaminated sites adjacent to the stations; ii) a paper examining the distribution and abundance of a very common Antarctic amphipod (a small crustacean) and its relationship to sediment properties including contamination by metals. We also submitted 3 more: i) on PBDE contamination at Casey; ii) on monitoring of the remediation after 5 years; and iii) on the vulnerability of coastal benthic communities to environmental change.
In our field work at Casey we sampled populations of Antarctic sea anemones for the PhD project of Leslie Watson (UTAS), which is examining their ecology and genetics to understand population connectivity and response to disturbance.

Project Summary of the Season 2014/15

It has been 11 years since the Casey waste disposal site in Thala Valley was remediated and this season we continued the long term monitoring of the heavily impacted Brown Bay (adjacent to the site). The aim of the monitoring is to determine how the marine communities are recovering following the clean up. Over a period of several months at Casey the field team sampled a total of 10 locations as part of the project, all of which have been sampled multiple times including prior to the remediation. The sampling was focused on the communities of small animals living in soft sediments (by sediment cores) and communities of larger animals living on the seabed (sampled via photoquadrats – photos of a fixed size). These will be analysed over the coming year. We also took many samples to measure contaminants such as metals and hydrocarbons to determine whether their concentrations have reduced since the cleanup. We also published a paper summarising the medium term monitoring of the site, which demonstrated that the remediation operation did not make the environmental impacts of the site any worse.
Work continued on the Davis wastewater outfall project with several publications including new methods for measuring the presence of human sewage in Antarctica using faecal sterols; an examination of the physical, chemical and ecotoxicological properties of Antarctic wastewater which will aid all countries in the design of future wastewater system; and a paper examining the impacts of wastewater on local fish at Davis, which showed severe deformities in several major organs.
Work on the experiment examining the effects of oil on Antarctic marine life continued and we published a paper showing that the effects of oil on microalgae (diatoms) persisted even after 5 years and are likely to persist for much longer.

Project Summary of the Season 2015/16

Long term monitoring of the Thala Valley remediation project. Following on from the field season in 2014/15, monitoring ecological recovery of marine sites adjacent to the old waste dump as well a range of reference locations, we conducted extensive laboratory work processing the samples for analysis. Analysis of samples is ongoing but in the past year we have done a range of preliminary analysis on marine sediments including metals, grain size, petroleum hydrocarbons, and persistent organic pollutants (POSPs) including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Data has yet to be evaluated.

Work on the Davis wastewater outfall project is almost complete. The past year saw the publication of a paper on the dilution and dispersal of effluent from the Davis outfall, in which we demonstrated that dispersal conditions are poor, constraining effluent to a narrow band along the coast as well as retaining effluent in significant concentrations around the outfall and Davis wharf area. We demonstrated that this has led to contamination of marine sediments with metals and POPs. We expect that conditions such as seen at Davis may be broadly representative of many Antarctic stations and that sufficient dilution and dispersal may be difficult to obtain in Antarctic coastal waters where ice is present for much of the year. A paper on the transfer of antibiotic resistance from humans into the marine environment including into populations of native marine invertebrates was also accepted for publication. The final paper summarizing the impacts of the outfall and the overall findings of the study has just been submitted.

Work on the experiment examining the effects of oil on Antarctic marine life continued. Data on macrofaunal community response to oil contamination has begun to be analysed. Several papers are being planned.

Project Summary of the Season 2016/17

Long term monitoring of the Thala Valley remediation. In 2014/15 a major survey was done to monitor the ecological recovery of the marine ecosystem adjacent to the old Thala Valley waste dump at Casey Station. Since then there has been extensive laboratory work on the analysis of contaminants in marine sediments including metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Biological samples of seabed communities have also been sorted and identified. Data is currently being analysed.

Work on the Davis wastewater outfall project is essentially complete. The past year saw the publication of a paper on the environmental impacts the Davis outfall, in which we demonstrated that there is strong evidence of a range of impacts associated with the discharge of untreated sewage and wastewater effluent into the Antarctic marine environment. We expect that conditions such as seen at Davis may be broadly representative of many Antarctic stations and that the provisions of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty are not sufficient to prevent significant environmental impacts around Antarctic stations. In addition the dilution and dispersal of wastewater may be inadequate in Antarctic coastal waters where ice is present for much of the year.

Work examining the effects of oil on Antarctic benthic communities in a five year field experiment continued. Data on macrofaunal community response to oil contamination is being analysed. A paper on the effects of oil on Antarctic benthic meiofauna (animals < 0.3 mm) found that nematode worms and copepod crustaceans responded differently to different types of oil pollution, but both show potential as bioindicators of environmental impacts in Antarctica. It also showed that effects of oil in the marine environment are likely to persist for decades.

Final Summary of Project Achievements

This project examined the impacts of coastal Antarctic stations on the local marine environment including the effects of ocean wastewater discharge; abandoned waste disposal sites and their remediation; and oil contamination. We have published 20 papers in the past 5 years examining many aspects of these issues. We demonstrated that there is strong evidence of a range of impacts associated with the discharge of untreated sewage and wastewater effluent into the Antarctic marine environment. This research contributed to the decision to modernize Australia's approach to sewage treatment in Antarctica. We concluded that impacts such as observed from the Davis outfall may be broadly representative of many coastal Antarctic stations discharging wastewater and that the provisions of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty are not sufficient to prevent significant environmental impacts.
Our work continued on the impacts of abandoned waste disposal sites and the effects and benefits of remediation efforts. We now have a long term record of contaminant levels from many sites around Casey Station along with data on biological communities. This will form the basis for a comprehensive assessment of the long term effects of this issue. Once published this research will provide valuable information for any Antarctic operators considering the risks and benefits of remediation operations for sites contaminated by past practices.
The research examining the impacts of oil and fuel on Antarctic benthic communities showed that effects of oil in the marine environment are likely to persist for decades and span all elements of seabed ecosystems, from micro-organisms to algae and larger invertebrates.
Altogether this research demonstrates Australia's continued leading role in environmental management in Antarctica based on highly relevant scientific evidence and knowledge.

Category 1: Peer-reviewed literature

Baird H.P., Stark J.S. (2014) Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the distribution of an Antarctic amphipod and relationship with the sediment, Marine Ecology Progress Series 502. 169-183; [Ref: 15204]

Stark J.S., Kim S.L., Oliver J.S. (2014) Anthropogenic Disturbance and Biodiversity of Marine Benthic Communities in Antarctica: A Regional Comparison, PLoS ONE 9(6). e98802; [Ref: 15225]

Leeming R., Stark J.S., Smith J.J. (2015) Novel use of faecal sterols to assess human faecal contamination in Antarctica: a likelihood assessment matrix for environmental monitoring, Antarctic Science 27(1). 31-43; [Ref: 15370]

Stark J.S., Johnstone G.J., Riddle M.J. (2014) A sediment mesocosm experiment to determine if the remediation of a shoreline waste disposal site in Antarctica caused further environmental impacts, Marine Pollution Bulletin 89(1-2). 284-295; [Ref: 15371]

Wild S., McLagan D., Schlabach M., Bossi R., Hawker D., Cropp R., King C.K., Stark J.S., Mondon J., Bengtson Nash S. (2015) An Antarctic Research Station as a Source of Brominated and Perfluorinated Persistent Organic Pollutants to the Local Environment, Environmental Science and Technology 49(1). 103-112; [Ref: 15441]

Polmear R., Stark J.S., Roberts D., McMinn A. (2015) The effects of oil pollution on Antarctic benthic diatom communities over 5 years, Marine Pollution Bulletin 90. 33-40; [Ref: 15442]

Bates M.L., Bengtson Nash S.M., Hawker D.W., Norbury J., Stark J.S., Cropp R. (2015) Construction of a trophically complex near-shore Antarctic food web model using the Conservative Normal framework with structural coexistence, Journal of Marine Systems 145. 1-14; [Ref: 15443]

Winsley T., Snape I., McKinlay J., Stark J., van Dorst J.M., Ji M., Ferrari B.C., Siciliano S.D. (2014) The ecological controls on the prevalence of candidate division TM7 in polar regions, Frontiers in Microbiology 5. 1-10; [Ref: 15450]

Stark J.S., Smith J., King C.K., Lindsay M., Stark S., Palmer A.S., Snape I., Bridgen P., Riddle M. (2015) Physical, chemical, biological and ecotoxicological properties of wastewater discharged from Davis Station, Antarctica, Cold Regions Science and Technology 113. 52-62; [Ref: 15451]

Clark G.F., Raymond B., Riddle M.J., Stark J.S., Johnston E.L. (2015) Vulnerability of shallow Antarctic invertebrate-dominated ecosystems, Austral Ecology 40(4). 482-491; [Ref: 15534]

Bennett J.R., Shaw J.D., Terauds A., Smol J.P., Aerts R., Bergstrom D.M., Blais J.M., Cheung W.W.L., Chown S.L., Lea M.-A. , Nielsen U.N., Pauly D., Reimer K.J., Riddle M.J., Snape I., Stark J.S., Tulloch V.J., Possingham H.P. (2015) Polar lessons learned: long-term management based on shared threats in Arctic and Antarctic environments, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 13(6). 316-324; [Ref: 15577]

Smith J., O'Brien P.E., Stark J.S., Johnstone G.J., Riddle M.J. (2015) Integrating multibeam sonar and underwater video data to map benthic habitats in an East Antarctic nearshore environment, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 164. 520-536; [Ref: 15689]

O'Brien P.E., Smith J., Stark J.S., Johnstone G., Riddle M.J., Franklin D. (2015) Submarine geomorphology and sea floor processes along the coast of Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica, from multibeam bathymetry and video data, Antarctic Science 27(06). 566-586; [Ref: 15733]

Stark J.S., Bridgen P., Dunshea G., Galton-Fenzi B., Hunter J., Johnstone G., King C., Leeming R., Palmer A., Smith J., Snape I, Stark S., Riddle M.J. (2016) Dispersal and dilution of wastewater from an ocean outfall at Davis Station, Antarctica, and resulting environmental contamination, Chemosphere 152. 142-157; [Ref: 15755]

Stark J.S., Corbett P.A., Dunshea G., Johnstone G., King C.K., Mondon J.A., Powers M.L., Samuel A., Snape I., Riddle M.J. (2016) The environmental impact of sewage and wastewater outfalls in Antarctica: an example from Davis station, East Antarctica, Water Research 105. 602-614; [Ref: 15789]

Powers M.L., Samuel A., Smith J.J., Stark J.S., Gillings M.R., Gordon D.M. (2016) Escherichia coli out in the cold: Dissemination of human-derived bacteria into the Antarctic microbiome, Environmental Pollution 215. 58-65; [Ref: 15807]

González-Wevar C., Hüne M., Segovia N.I., Nakano T., Spencer H.G., Chown S.L., Saucède T., Johnstone G., Mansilla A., Poulin E. (2017) Following the Antarctic Circumpolar Current: patterns and processes in the biogeography of the limpet Nacella (Mollusca: Patellogastropoda) across the Southern Ocean, Journal of Biogeography 44. 861-874; [Ref: 15818]

Stark J.S., Mohammad M., McMinn A., Ingels J. (2017) The effects of hydrocarbons on meiofauna in marine sediments in Antarctica, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 496. 56-73; [Ref: 15882]

Raymond T., King C.K., Raymond B., Stark J.S, Snape I. (2016) Oil Pollution in Antarctica In Fingas M (Ed), Oil Spill Science and Technology 2nd edition Gulf Professional Publishing 759-803; [Ref: 16313]

Stark J.S., Mohammad M., McMinn A., Ingels J. (2020) Diversity, abundance, spatial variation and human impacts in marine meiobenthic nematode and copepod communities at Casey station, East Antarctica, Frontiers in Marine Science .; [Ref: 16331]

Maroni P.J., Baker B.J., Moran A.L., Woods H.A., Avila C., Johnstone G.J., Stark J.S. (2022) One Antarctic slug to confuse them all: the underestimated diversity of Doris kerguelenensis, Invertebrate Systematics .; [Ref: 16586]

Stark J.S. (2022) Effects of lubricant oil and diesel on macrofaunal communities in marine sediments: A five year field experiment in Antarctica, Environmental Pollution .; [Ref: 16587]

Stark J. S., Johnstone G.J., King, C., Raymond T., Rutter A., Stark S.C., Townsend A.T. (2023) Contamination of the marine environment by Antarctic research stations: Monitoring marine pollution at Casey station from 1997 to 2015, PLoS ONE 18(8). e0288485; [Ref: 16896]

Category 3: Abstract

Stark J.S., Riddle M.J. (2012) Monitoring Coastal Ecosystems in Antarctica, Australian Marine Sciences Association and New Zealand Marine Sciences Society Joint Conference (AMSA-NZMSS), Hobart, Tasmania, 1-5 July 2012 .; [Ref: 14946]