University of Tasmania, Australia

It has become traditional for The Royal Society of Tasmania to host a Winter Lecture Series for the public. By courtesy of the University of Tasmania these have been held at the Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre in the University Centre. The series usually consists of a series of presentations over three months, on the third Tuesday of June, July and August.

This year The Royal Society of Tasmania focussed its Winter Lecture Series on the topic of Macquarie Island because it is 200 years since the island was ‘discovered’ on 11 July 1810. This series focuses on the many fascinating elements of this small island rich in history, heritage and ecology.

The series took the form of three sessions, with each session chaired by an eminent person with some association with the Island. Professor Patrick Quilty President of The Royal Society of Tasmania, of the School of Earth Sciences, University of Tasmania was overall co-ordinator.

The third session was held on 17 August and was chaired by Ms Julie Collins MLA, federal member for Franklin. Macquarie Island falls in her electorate. In the normal way, there were three speakers:

• Mark Alcock (Geoscience Australia, Canberra) – Maritime jurisdiction around Macquarie Island.
• Dr Greg Ayers (Director, Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne) – Macquarie Island as an observatory site
• Tom Maggs (Australian Antarctic Division) – Options for the future management of Macquarie Island.

Alcock reviewed the evolution of concepts of offshore territory since 1901 when Australia inherited the British idea of a three mile limit, through various stages based initially on resource value, through military value and eventually through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which includes the environment. He included discussion of the various levels of responsibility that attend each level of territorial claim and whether or not it includes the sea floor and what is below, or also the water column above. This was then related to the ability or otherwise of the claimant nation to limit fishing within various delineated zones. Much of the basis for the various claims has depended on the technology available to understand bathymetry of the region and the Macquarie Ridge region is now very well known following a series of multibeam surveys by a series of vessels. The area now claimed by Australia around the Island under various conventions is now about 500 000 km². He concluded his talk with a flythrough in glorious colour of the seafloor features around the island including reference to the 7 km high scarp which is one of the world’s most spectacular landforms, all below sea level.

Ayers took the opportunity to review the work of the Bureau of Meteorology and some other agencies using Macquarie Island as an example. The Bureau has its own series of observatory functions but also provides support for others. He showed the value of this isolated site as a ground truth station for modelling of Australian and global weather patterns in the present day and followed with a review of longer term records from the Island showing the trends of current global change. He showed the records of ozone content in the stratosphere and, while Macquarie Island normally is north of the region affected by springtime ozone depletion, the region has lobes that occasionally pass over the Island. Air sampling provides data on changes in atmospheric composition and how that integrates with global and Australian patterns. The exchange of atmospheric gases is having an effect on oceanic acidity and the ability of some planktonic organisms to build their skeletons in the future. A Nuclear Test Ban monitoring function is being developed on the Island at a cost of some $4 million which includes building extra power generation capability. He concluded with an excellent video of the oceanographic circulation patterns over the Southern Hemisphere to integrate all the data.

Maggs reviewed many aspects of the value of the Island not covered in any of the talks so far. He included reference to many initiatives in which Australia has been important diplomatically and in implementing action. He referred to the convention on albatross protection. These birds do not respect marine boundaries and commonly are taken as by-catch in long-line fishery. Concern for falling numbers (many species breed on Macquarie Island and southern Australia and steps have been taken to limit by-catch). He referred also to the rodent eradication project as a state/federal cooperative arrangement. The question of ownership of the Island – state or federal - arose. Tasmania could pass responsibility to the Commonwealth but the Commonwealth cannot initiate such a proposal. It raises the issue of a Commonwealth funded and operated facility on state territory and the sharing or otherwise of funding. The Island facility is expensive to operate partly because of the cost of upkeep of facilities in a hostile environment. He closed by raising a series of options such as running the Island as a tourist facility to pay the costs; ceding costs entirely to Tasmania; Tasmania ceding the Island to the Commonwealth; or having the operation passed to a private operator under contract.

A feature of this session was integration. Alcock and Ayers drew on many different disciplines of science and technology to make their case and Maggs brought them all together in a policy setting.

The third session was the icing on the cake and concluded what has been a very successful exposure of Macquarie Island to public and responsible members of government.

Conclusion

The three sessions on the topic were very successful in making available to an interested public a coverage of the major aspects that make Macquarie Island such an important site. The talks covered all aspects of the science; evolution of the site as a conservation zone in many treaty instruments; its wildlife and steps taken to protect it while eradicating introduced species; history of exploitation; value as a monitoring site; various aspects of territorial claims (including who should own it – Tasmania, Commonwealth of Australia, or even New Zealand); and how all aspects are to be included in policy development for management. There was a logical sequence to the evenings.

The lectures will be made available, in part at least on the University of Tasmania website, at the Antarctic Division, for Macquarie Island, and through The Royal Society of Tasmania. A two-page summary of each of the talks will be bound together and made available at minimal cost.

Patrick G. Quilty AM
President, The Royal Society of Tasmania