There is an urgent need to better understand the current state and health of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Recent decades have witnessed unprecedented changes in Antarctic sea-ice coverage, ocean salinity and temperature and ice-shelf stability, with far-reaching implications for Earth’s climate system, global sea-level rise, ecosystems and society.

The East Antarctic Monitoring Program aims to deliver sustained, coordinated, and long-term (multi-decadal) observations of essential climate, ocean and biological/ecological variables in key areas of East Antarctica and the Southern Ocean at the appropriate temporal and spatial scales.

A man stands beside a weather station tower on snow covered rocks.
Automated instruments such as this weather station will play an important role in long-term observations and monitoring. Photo: Ladge Kviz

These observations are critical to improving our understanding of the role of this complex ice-ocean-atmosphere-biosphere system in the broader Earth system – and to detect and quantify the nature and impacts of change and variability therein. 

Detecting change allows us to mitigate against pressures and more confidently predict future responses to a warming climate by improving our capacity for both short-term forecasting and long-term prediction.

The Integrated East Antarctic Monitoring Program explicitly links monitoring to end-user needs to inform management and policy interventions framed in the Australian Antarctic Strategy, and contributing to international frameworks and commitments.

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