Presente e futuro do fluxo de contaminantes através das cadeias alimentares Oceano Antártico: mudanças climáticas estão a guardar problemas futuros?

The objective of FlowSOC is to comprehensively investigate the dynamics of contaminants in the SO and their potential impacts on marine ecosystems, particularly in the context of climate change. This multifaceted project aims to fill significant knowledge gaps surrounding the distribution, propagation, and future response of contaminants within SO foodwebs. Through its interdisciplinary approach and engagement with stakeholders and policy forums, the project aims to support the conservation and sustainable management of this globally important marine environment. The project is structured around five primary tasks, each designed to address a key aspect of this complex issue. Firstly, FlowSOC seeks to establish baseline levels of trace elements and POPs in key organisms across various trophic levels within the SO foodweb. By collecting and analysing samples from different regions, including South Georgia, Kerguelen, and Crozet, the project aims to quantify the concentrations of essential and non-essential trace elements as well as a range of POPs. This baseline data will provide valuable insights into the current state of contamination in the SO and serve as a reference for future monitoring efforts. Secondly, the project aims to determine how contaminants propagate through different trophic pathways. By analyzing the relationships between contaminant levels in the tissues of consumers and their prey, the project will elucidate the biomagnification and accumulation of contaminants in various organisms within the foodweb. Thirdly, a comparative analysis will be conducted to compare contaminant uptake and propagation pathways in different regions of the SO along a climatic gradient from South Orkneys, through South Georgia to Kerguelen and the Crozet Islands. This comparison will provide insights into the likely changes in contaminant propagation dynamics as the SO shifts towards a more sub-Antarctic-like system under scenarios of global change. By using correlative models to examine the relationships between trophic level/diet, environmental parameters and contaminant prevalence, the project aims to identify key environmental drivers of contaminant loads in different climate regions. Fourthly, FlowSOC aims to predict how contaminant loads in each of these regions will respond to environmental change and altered trophic pathways. The modelled relationships between diet, environmental parameters and contamination loads (task 4), will be used to predict how contamination load may change under future conditions simulated from a suite of IPCC CMIP6 data products that will capture model and scenario level uncertainty. Ultimately, this will allow insights into the potential impact of climate change on contaminant distribution and bioaccumulation within SO communities. Finally, the project seeks to integrate its research findings into international management policies and engage in education and outreach activities to raise awareness of the impacts of contaminants on marine ecosystems. Through collaboration with international organizations such as the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) and the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR), FlowSOC aims to inform policymakers aimed at minimizing human impacts on the SO environment. Additionally, the project will disseminate its findings to the broader scientific community and the public through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and outreach initiatives.