https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/01/mapping-antarcticas-hidden-ice-free-lands-a-blueprint-for-conservation UNSW Logo UNSW Newsroom logo * Study Study options + Explore degrees + Short courses + Online + Our faculties Discover UNSW + Undergraduate study + Postgraduate study + International students + Higher Degree Research + Our campus + Accommodation + Support for students How to apply + Domestic undergraduate + Domestic postgraduate + International + Higher Degree Research + Fees + Scholarships Help centre + Ask a question + Speak to a student + Received an offer? + Information for parents + Information for educators + Agent Hub Apply now Connect with us * Research Partnerships + Partner with us + Small businesses + Alliances and networks + Precincts Higher degree research + Find a Supervisor or Project + Scholarships + Application process + Fees and costs + Industry engagement + International engagement opportunities Research capabilities + Areas of focus + Find a researcher Our impact + Innovations + Newsroom Infrastructure + Facilities * Faculties Our faculties + Arts, Design & Architecture + Business School + Engineering + Law & Justice + Medicine & Health + Science + UNSW Canberra * Engage with us Engage with UNSW + Social media + Community outreach + Complaints Giving + Overview + See the impact + Why give to UNSW + Areas to support + Give now Alumni + Overview + News & events + Benefits & services + Ways to get involved + Update your details Find an expert + Find an expert Industry partnerships + Partner with us + Services and solutions + Funding opportunities + Small businesses + Impact and case studies * About us Our story + Leadership & governance + Our strategy + Our culture + Our people Our impact + Social impact + Innovation + Enterprise + Centres & institutes Collaboration + Community + Industry + Government Our campus + Faculties & Schools + Respect & diversity + Library Excellence + Education + Research + Human resources * News * Events * myUNSW * Alumni & Giving * Envelope icon Contact Us UNSW Logo [unsw_newsr] Type in a search term [ ] * Search Advanced search * Search news * Find an expert * Annual reports * Contact Follow Follow * Follow UNSW on LinkedIn * Follow UNSW on Instagram * Follow UNSW on Facebook * Follow UNSW on WeChat * Follow UNSW on TikTok * WhatsApp A beautiful scene in Antarctica, rock, moss and lichen in the foreground, then penguins, water and snow covered land in the background. A beautiful scene in Antarctica, rock, moss and lichen in the foreground, then penguins, water and snow covered land in the background. Mapping Antarctica's hidden ice-free lands: a blueprint for conservation Play icon Expand social share Close social share Image: NASA Goddard Photo and Video, CC BY 2.0. UNSW Media UNSW Media, UNSW researchers unveil a new map and classification system that will help protect the unique plants and animals of Earth's most remote and fragile continent. Antarctica, often regarded as the planet's last true wilderness, harbours unique ecosystems that support extraordinary biodiversity and contribute to global diversity and environmental stability. These ecosystems, which occupy permanently ice-free land covering less than 0.5% of the continent, are now under growing threat from human activity and climate change. Now, a team led by researchers at UNSW Sydney's Centre for Ecosystem Science has developed a high-resolution map and hierarchical classification system of Antarctica's ice-free lands, which can be seen in full in Scientific Data. This new inventory categorizes Antarctica's ecosystems into nine Major Environment Units, 33 Habitat Complexes, and 269 Bioregional Ecosystem Types, providing an unprecedented level of detail. Together they are a groundbreaking resource that will help protect the biodiversity of Antarctica's ice-free lands. Media enquiries Samantha Dunn UNSW News & Content (02) 9065 5455 samantha.dunn@unsw.edu.au --------------------------------------------------------------------- David Keith Aniko Toth Featured experts David Keith, Aniko Toth, A beautiful scene in Antarctica, rock, moss and lichen in the foreground, then penguins, water and snow covered land in the background. A colony of Adelie penguins in the Yalour Islands, Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica. Photo: Wikimedia LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0 Ice-free Antarctica "Many people are surprised to learn that Antarctica has any permanently ice-free lands at all. And yet, these tiny habitat patches contain the vast majority of the continent's biodiversity," says lead author Dr Aniko B. Toth. The ice-free lands are home to uniquely adapted flora including 'micro-forests' of lichens, moss and two flowering plants, Antarctic hairgrass and pearlwort. They also sustain a variety of mites and springtails (very tiny arthropods related to spiders and insects, respectively), tardigrades, nematodes and many algaes and microbes. Seabirds, including land-breeding penguins, petrels, gulls, skuas and albatrosses have established breeding colonies in these areas too. As the climate changes and ice melts, the patches will likely become milder and less isolated, opening them up to colonisation by hardy species from lower latitudes. "It's the opposite problem that many conventional ecosystems face today. Instead of fragmentation and loss of area, ice-free patches will become larger and more interconnected," says Dr Toth. "This could completely change the dynamics and resident species of these ecosystems, whose distinctiveness is often founded on isolation." A large rocky island looms under a grey sky. It is covered in dark green patches of moss. Cuverville Island on the Antarctic Peninsula features moss dominated vegetation. Photo: Courtesy of Professor Steven Chown. A game changer for conservation Senior author, Professor David Keith, says this typology and map represent a transformative leap forward in our understanding of Antarctic ecosystems. "By integrating biophysical and biological data, we've created a robust framework to guide conservation efforts under the Antarctic Treaty System." The classification aligns with the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Global Ecosystem Typology, placing Antarctica in a global context and highlighting the continent's critical role in sustaining planetary biodiversity. It will allow for systematic risk assessments, strategic placement of new protected areas, and effective monitoring of global conservation goals. "The outcomes of the study bring new insights into the variety of Antarctica's terrestrial biodiversity, knowledge essential for its comprehensive conservation," says Steven Chown, the director of the Australian Research Council's special research initiative, Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future and a coauthor on the study. Why now? The research comes at a pivotal time when advances in geospatial technology and ecological data have made it possible to capture the complexity of Antarctic ecosystems. "With climate change accelerating and human activity increasing, this framework is essential to prepare us for the consequences of accelerating Antarctic greening," says Dr Toth. The classification and maps are critical foundations to inform and support management and conservation of the Antarctic region through the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty System. This is particularly important as the review of the Protocol approaches. Even though it might seem like a long way into the future (2048), work like this, and the actions that it underpins, are essential in demonstrating how effective the Protocol can be in protecting Antarctica. "Beyond conservation, the study provides a foundation for future ecological research, enabling comparisons across regions and insights into ecosystem responses to environmental change," says Dr Toth. "It also establishes a common language for researchers and policymakers worldwide, fostering collaboration on preserving Earth's cryogenic environments." The research, published as open access in Scientific Data with the data download freely available from the Australia Antarctic Data Centre, reflects years of collaboration among experts in ecology, remote sensing, and Antarctic science. It sets the stage for developing a Red List of Antarctic Ecosystems to pinpoint the continent's most threatened habitats and identify strategies to protect them. Share this story * Share this page on Email * Share this page on Facebook * Share this page on Twitter * Share this page on LinkedIn * Share this page on WhatsApp * Share this page on FacebookMessenger * Share this page on WeChat * Share this page on Copy --------------------------------------------------------------------- Related stories * A plastic bottle washed upon the shore with pippy shells attached Antarctica vulnerable to invasive species hitching rides on plastic and organic debris * [cq5dam] Antarctic heat, wild Australian winter: what's happening to the weather and what it means for the rest of the year * [cq5dam] We used 1,000 historical photos to reconstruct Antarctic glaciers before a dramatic collapse * [cq5dam] The past holds the key to future Antarctic melting Back to top Top UNSW Sydney UNSW.edu.au Engage with us * Contact us * Find an expert * Careers at UNSW * Education at UNSW * Alumni Study * UNSW International * Degree Finder * Student Portal * Academic Calendar News, Media & Events * Newsroom * UNSW events * Research news About us * Our rankings & reputation * Faculties and schools * Campus locations * Centres and institutes * UNSW Library UNSW Sydney NSW 2052 Australia Telephone: +61 2 93851000 UNSW CRICOS Provider Code: 00098G TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12055 ABN: 57 195 873 179 Logo of partner Group of Eight Australia Logo of partner Universitas 21 Logo of partner APRU Logo of partner Plus Alliance Australian Aboriginal Flag Flag of Torres Strait Islands Acknowledgement of Country UNSW is located on the unceded territory of the Bidjigal (Kensington campus), Gadigal (City and Paddington Campuses) and Ngunnawal peoples (UNSW Canberra) who are the Traditional Owners of the lands where each campus of UNSW is situated. 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