Although often depicted as a calm, frozen wasteland, the Antarctic is actually bursting with life, especially sea-stars, sponges, krill, penguins, seals and whales.
The group, includes organizations like Greenpeace and WWF, and has emphasised that the region holds the largest network of marine protected areas ever created, citing the 19 key Antarctic marine habitats as the links in this chain. The report, Antarctic Ocean Legacy: A Vision for Circumpolar Protection, noted that the Southern Ocean accounts for 10 per cent of the world's seas, less than one percent of which is "strictly protected" despite being home to vast numbers of vulnerable animals.
The U.K. has been selected for this great responsibility because of its commitment to conservation issues - it has already taken the lead in safeguarding areas in the Southern Ocean, such as the Southern Orkney Islands Southern Shelf marine protected area.
Source: Sanctuary Asia
