The plastic footprint of tourism in Antarctica

Known for its inhospitable climate, incredible wildlife and vast expanse of untouched natural beauty, Antarctica is a top travel destination. But with over 100,000 tourists a year, is the area really as pristine as it might seem?

Fay Couceiro, Professor in Environmental Pollution and Lead of the Microplastics Research Group at the University of Portsmouth grasped a unique opportunity to go on a research trip to examine the impacts of tourism on this fragile ecosystem. 

Here, Fay explains more about her fieldwork and experience in the frozen south.

A unique research trip with the Royal Navy

Each year the Royal Navy’s icebreaker, HMS Protector, embarks on a journey to Antarctica. 

The former captain of the ship, Milly Ingham, is based in Portsmouth. She wanted to invite scientists on board and reached out to us at her local university. Captain Ingham was keen to involve scientists with relevant research in climate change and pollution.

I study man-made chemicals and particles that enter and disrupt the natural environment and I’ve always wanted to do polar work, so when the opportunity came along, I jumped at the chance. This trip allowed me to collect samples which could improve our understanding about the potential pollution caused by tourism in Antarctica. Glaciologist Dr Clare Boston also joined the expedition to gather data on how glaciers are being affected by climate change.

We joined HMS Protector in mid-December 2023 and lived alongside the crew for five weeks, travelling along the west coast of the Antarctic peninsula.

What were your highlights from your time in Antarctica?

It was an amazing experience. Firstly to appreciate the expanse and beauty of the place, and secondly to realise the importance of my research.

The first time we saw an iceberg was on a grey day and it was really far away. All those on board that were new to Antarctica were so excited. We took a hundred photos of the same iceberg getting gradually closer, while all the people who had been before said ‘just wait’. Of course, as the days progressed, we saw more and more spectacular icebergs. When the weather cleared, they were absolutely beautiful colours. I was very excited on seeing the first iceberg though — I still have that first photo; it's a great keepsake, and a memory of that feeling of excitement.

Another highlight was when we travelled through Lemaire channel, which is known as ‘Kodak Valley’ because everyone takes so many photos. We passed through in the evening, but because it was summer in Antarctica, the sun didn't set and just became low in the sky, giving a beautiful orange and pink glow. We saw humpback whales feeding beside the ship and it was so peaceful. Everyone who wasn’t working on the ship was outside watching. We were all silent because we were awestruck. It was really quite a special moment.

Assessing the environmental impact of tourism in Antarctica 

The main purpose of my research there was to study the impact of the tourism industry, which has grown in Antarctica in recent years. 

Maritime traffic and tourism numbers are rapidly increasing in Antarctica. The cruise ship industry has really taken off. A record 105,331 people visited Antarctica during the 2022-23 season, travelling on one of up to 50 cruise ships a day, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. In comparison, the number of visitors in 2010 was less than 15,000, so there has been a significant increase. 

This trend is set to continue, and as the number of tourists increases, so too does their environmental footprint. On this trip, I took samples from places with high, medium and low visitations to assess the difference and what impact tourism could be having. 

We tend to think of Antarctica as a pristine environment, but it may not remain that way if the number of tourists continues to rise. The only way to know the impacts is by regular monitoring of pollutant levels at multiple sites.

What do we know about microplastics in Antarctica?

Microplastics are reaching areas that we consider untouched by man. They have been found at the top of Mt Everest and in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Activities in our daily lives are reaching the other side of the planet. Microplastics can be carried by the air (e.g. tiny fragments that have come from littered plastics) or they can go into the sewers (e.g. washing plastic textiles such as polyester, in washing machines), and potentially our rivers and oceans. 

We need to think about the impact of plastics. It's not just their environmental impact — microplastics can affect human health too. Recent research has found evidence of plastics in human blood, liver and heart. Plastics have even been found in the plaques in blood vessels, which can lead to further health problems such as a heart attack or stroke. 

An area of interest for my research is microplastic fibres. Due to the cold temperature, you’re advised to wear polyester in Antarctica. Cotton will freeze and stick to your skin whereas polyester will wick away sweat and keep you warmer. This clothing needs to be washed. Ships, including cruise liners, are permitted to release grey wastewater while travelling in the polar regions, so there are potentially billions of fibres from plastic-based clothing being discharged into the Southern Ocean through tourism.

We need to establish the levels of synthetic fibres being discharged, and find solutions to reduce pollution. Interventions could be built into washing machines on board, or placed before grey water is discharged. There are multiple methods that could be tested for effectiveness, so new technologies do offer hope. 

How do you measure the impact of humans in remote regions?

I wanted to check what the increase of tourism means for the water quality in the areas where there are regular visitors. I looked for heavy metals, microplastics and antimicrobial resistance genes — each can impact the environment and changes in these can be attributed to humans.

HMS Protector has six smaller vessels on board. We used these small ribs to travel off the main ship, to the locations I wanted to gather water samples, such as a specific bay where we know that cruise liners regularly stop. There I collected water samples for metals and antimicrobial resistance genes, and towed a 32 micron plankton net through the water to collect microplastics. The sites I visited were Deception Island, Anvers Island, Port Lockroy, Detaille Island, Pourquoi Pas Island and Rothera Research Station.

I then took the water samples back to the ship where I stabilised them either through filtering, freezing or acidification so that they were ready to take back to the University of Portsmouth.

How will the samples be tested?

Back in Portsmouth, my colleagues and I in Civil Engineering and Surveying and Biological Sciences will test the samples over the next six to twelve months. They will be processed with specialist equipment in the University’s lab and testing facilities. This will include:

• Inductively coupled plasma optical emissions spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to quantify metal concentrations, such as nickel and zinc. 
• microRaman spectroscopy to analyse microplastics
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis to determine antimicrobial resistance genes. 

There’s lots of work to do in the lab, but when complete the data will be shared with the public, the Royal Navy and other interested groups. 

What impact will the research have?

The research data will also be available to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) — these organisations have a say in who can visit Antarctica and what policies they must follow when they are there. 

We hope that these organisations will take an interest in our data and use it to understand how best to take policy forward. This could include decisions about whether there should be changes to the number of ships allowed to operate in the region. They can also assess if there are any improvements that can be made to ships, such as how grey wastewater is released, which could make a big difference to the water quality in Antarctica. 

Additionally, sustainability-focussed tour operators might be interested in any solutions we devise, to reduce their own environmental impact.