‘The Antarctic is the last frontier’: the quest to save Shackleton’s Endurance

Conservationists are advocating for the establishment of the Antarctic's first underwater protected area around the wreck of Ernest Shackleton's ship, Endurance, which sank in the Weddell Sea in 1915. The discovery of the wreck in March 2022, remarkably intact due to the region's historically harsh conditions, has raised concerns that a warming climate will make it more accessible to explorers and potentially disrupt its unique ecosystem. The Weddell Sea's extreme temperatures, powerful currents, and dynamic ice formations previously served as a natural barrier, safeguarding the wreck for over a century. However, as these conditions change, there is a growing urgency to protect this historically significant site and the newly identified species that inhabit it. The proposed protected area aims to preserve the wreck's integrity and the surrounding marine environment from increased human activity.