Admiralty Bay Benthos Biodiversity Database [SCAR-MarBIN]

Admiralty Bay is one of the best studied sites in the maritime Antarctic. The
first benthos data has been recorded in 1906 and knowledge is constantly gained
by the research activities of permanent stations, Arctowski (Poland, since
1977), and Ferraz (Brazil, since 1984).

Admiralty Bay is a protected area within the Antarctic Treaty System, an
“Antarctic Specially Managed Area” (ASMA). It was also a reference site under
the EASIZ programme, and has been or is currently investigated by several
nations : Poland, Brazil, United States, Peru, Ecuador, Germany, The
Netherlands, Belgium.

ABBED (Admiralty Bay Benthos Biodiversity Database) is a Belgian-Polish
initiative, which aims at compiling and linking existing information on
Admiralty Bay benthos biodiversity and ecology. This information will be
digitized into a database and linked to wider Antarctic marine biodiversity
initiatives, such as SCAR-MarBIN, which will disseminate the information
through a web portal.

Being highly diverse in its content, formats and data providers, ABBED will
constitute an extremely interesting case-study for SCAR-MarBIN, allowing to
test strategic options which were retained for the development of the network.
Moreover, the quality and quantity of data which will be made available to the
community will reinforce the status of Admiralty Bay as a true reference point
for Antarctic biodiversity research.

The project aims at developing an interactive database on the biodiversity of
benthic communities of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, for scientific,
monitoring, management and conservation purposes. It is intended to be a
springboard for promoting future research in this region, by centralizing the
relevant information for i.e. scientific programme design.