REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON ANTARCTIC RESEARCH (SCAR) 2007/08

This paper reports on the various activities conducted by or involving SCAR that relate directly to CCAMLR or are of potential interest to CCAMLR. This includes a report on outcomes from SCAR’s biennial business and delegates meetings, and the SCAR/IASC 2008 IPY Open Science Conference, as well as reports on progress with the Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic (EBA) programme, SCAR-MarBIN, the Southern Ocean Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey and the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) project. The CAML had a highly successful field season with 18 ships contributing to the Census. SCAR-MarBIN data portal continues to gather information on marine biodiversity in the Antarctic and the CPR Survey continues to grow with more countries contributing. The SCAR/SCOR Oceanography Expert Group continues to develop plans for Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS). A detailed report of SOOS is provided as a supplementary information paper CCAMLR-XXVI/BG/43. SCAR has established new Action Groups on “Cold Seeps and Hydrothermal Vents”, “Antarctic Fuel Spills” and “Prediction on Changes in the Physical and Biological Environment of the Antarctic”. The 10th SCAR International Biology Symposium will be held in Sapporo from 26 to 31 July, 2009, with the theme "Antarctic Biology in the 21st Century --Advances in and beyond IPY--". The report includes a message from the new SCAR President Prof. Mahlon “Chuck” Kennicutt II (USA).