CHILEAN PROGRAM FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN ANTARCTICA 1
PUBLISHED BY THE CHILEAN ANTARCTIC INSTITUTE TRANSLATED BY ROBERT RUNYARD DESIGNED BY JENIFFER MUÑOZ PALMA / HUGO AGUILAR CÁRDENAS MICHELANGELO - ADAM / ANTARCTIC PENINSULA IMAGE: MARCELO LEPPE CARTES PRINTED BY LA PRENSA AUSTRAL PRINTERS MAY 2008 2
P R E S E N T A T I O N More than 30 countries are making a coordinated research effort for the performance of projects in Antarctica which have global significance. Half of these countries use Punta Arenas, Chile, as a departure point to the White Continent. Probably no other location in Chile enjoys such a concentration of international scientific expertise. The Chilean Antarctic Scientific and Technological Research Program brings together the projects that are financed, organized, coordinated, and executed by the Chilean Antarctic Institute (Instituto Antártico Chileno - INACH), whether directly or through support of universities and centers for scientific research. The projects request financing from various sources through open and transparent competition that is subject to peer review. WORLD WIND NASA Consequently, the final objective of this program is to produce high-quality Chilean Antarctic science, worthy of international recognition and in keeping with Chilean national interests through the delivery of selected studies relating to our cultural, economic and social development. Chile is the country that is closest to Antarctica, and this has resulted in a national imperative to understand, measure, and bring the White Continent closer to all Chileans. INACH promotes four main areas of research: 1. Links between South America and Antarctica 2. Global warming and climate change 3. Abundance and diversity of Antarctic organisms 4. Antarctic environment and its bioresources Chilean research in Antarctica shows particular strengths in the study and understanding of the Antarctic environment, its physical and biological character in both past and present, and in modelling of future scenarios. Along with this, we are supporting implementation of a logistical platform to serve our program and also other national programs that visit Punta Arenas on their way to Antarctica (www.chain.cl). We hope that you enjoy as we do the marvel that is Antarctica, through which we gain insight into our planet s past, the manner in which global warming is bringing changes, and the yet-undiscovered secrets that will be part of the future. Dr. José Retamales Director, Chilean Antarctic Institute - Instituto Antártico Chileno - INACH 3
1. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOUTH AMERICA AND ANTARCTICA How was the current biota conditioned by the continental separation of South America and Antarctica? During most of its natural history, Antarctica was a green continent, with a biodiversity similar to that of New Zealand, Chile or Argentina. Antarctica began to be isolated only about 28 million years ago, at a time that coincides with the beginning of its cooling and finally freezing. But it was not until a couple of million years ago that trees abandoned the continent altogether. The definitive separation of South America and Antarctica 23 million years ago - was a dramatic event that transformed global climate, and permanently affected life, the atmosphere, and the landscape of Chile. Our country is a clear example of the biological and climatic dependence on Antarctica. For example, strong evidence exists to believe that the extreme aridity of the Atacama desert, the driest on earth, was caused by enormous distortion of the marine currents that resulted in the opening of Drake s Passage. Similar effects are caused by the frigid Humboldt Current, which rises in the masses of water that surround Antarctica and maintain its cold temperatures. It is of great importance to understand how this influence evolved in the past, to gain knowledge that would allow us to understand the present and to predict the future. Seven projects attempt to answer this question from separate angles: GEOLOGICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN WEST ANTARCTICA AND PATAGONIA SINCE THE LATE PALEOZOIC: TECTONISM, PALEOGEOGRAPHY, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND PALEOCLIMATE Principal investigator: Teresa TORRES, Universidad de Chile, in collaboration with several other institutions. MOLECULAR DIVERGENCE AND CONNECTIVITY IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN: A MODEL OF ANTARCTIC AND SUBANTARCTIC RINGS Principal investigator: Elie POULIN, Universidad de Chile, in collaboration with French researchers. R. CANALES 4
PHYLOGEOGRAPHY AND GENETICS OF POPULATIONS OF GIGARTINA SKOTTSBERGII SEPARATED BY THE CIRCUMPOLAR CURRENT Principal investigator: Sylvain FAUGERON, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF ANTARCTIC BENTHIC MARINE FAUNA: GENETIC AND MOLECULAR DIVERSITY AMONG CONGENERIC ANTARCTIC AND SOUTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF ECHINOIDEA Principal investigator: Elie POULIN, Universidad de Chile. WATER MASSES AND FRONTS IN THE VICINITY OF THE SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS Principal investigator: Nelson SILVA, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. PHOTOCOLLAGE INACH RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EVOLUTIONARY AND DEMOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF GENUS NACELLA, THROUGHOUT THEIR DISTRIBUTION IN THE ANTARCTIC AND SUBANTARCTIC REGIONS Principal investigator: Claudio GONZÁLEZ, Universidad de Chile. ICTHYOSAURS OF THE LATE JURASSIC AND EARLY CRETACEOUS IN THE TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK IN SOUTHERN CHILE Principal investigators: Wolfgang STINNESBECK, Geologisches Institut der Universität Heidelberg, Germany, and Marcelo LEPPE, INACH. 5
2. GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE What will be the impact of global warming? The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the few places where atmospheric temperatures have increased to levels up to six times greater than global averages, resulting in the collapse of several ice platforms. Since the Antarctic climate provides in great measure a model of the global climate, particularly in ways that can impact our economy and society, the subject of global warming is on the agenda of nearly all the nations of the world and, in particular, in Chile. The problem of climate change, and the impact of global warming in Antarctica, taken together form the objective of six projects included in this line of research. S TA B I L I T Y A N D R E C E N T BEHAVIOUR OF GLACIERS IN THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA - THE INTERACTIONS WITH ICE SHELVES Principal investigator: Anja WENDT, Centro de Estudios Científicos (CECS), in collaboration with US and UK researchers. CHARACTERIZATION OF FINE A N TA R C T I C T R O P O S P H E R I C AEROSOLS OF THE NORTH END OF THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA AND LINKAGE WITH THEIR SOURCES Principal investigator: Margarita PRÉNDEZ, Universidad de Chile, in collaboration with US researchers. ECO-PHYSIOLOGICAL OUTCOMES FOR ANTARCTIC FLORA UNDER A GLOBAL WARMING SCENARIO Principal investigator: María Angélica CASANOVA, Universidad de Concepción. RECONSTRUCTION OF THE PALEOENVIRONMENT OF THE CHILEAN PATAGONIAN CENTRAL LATITUDES AND SOUTHERN (MAGALLANES) REGIONS UNDER THE EFFECTS OF GLACIAL DYNAMICS Principal investigator: Mauricio RONDANELLI, Universidad de Concepción, in collaboration with US researchers. ANTARCTIC AND SOUTH AMERICAN CLIMATE: JOINT EXTRACT OF BRAZILIAN-CHILE-USA ICE CORE SAMPLING IN THE DETROIT PLATEAU OF THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA Principal investigator: Ricardo JAÑA, INACH, in collaboration with US and Brazilian researchers. CHEMICAL FINGERPRINT OF TEPHRA FROM HOLOCENE/QUATERNARY VOLCANOES AROUND THE NORTHERN ANTARCTIC PENINSULA: A KEY TO REGIONAL VOLCANIC HISTORY AND CLIMATE RECONSTRUCTION Principal investigator: Stefan KRAUS, INACH, in collaboration with US researchers. IMAGE PROJECT H. REIS 6
Antarctic ecosystems are changing. The recent destruction of the Larsen B dome has revealed that Antarctic marine biodiversity is greater than previously believed. Today we are seeing a much more complex ecological plot than what was predicted in models twenty years ago. The roles played by each of the species within the delicate ecosystems of the Frozen Continent pose a crucial question relative to understanding the profusion, availability, and behavior of the living resources of the Antarctic. This line of research brings together the studies of abundance and diversity of Antarctic organisms, while seeking an understanding of the biodiversity of the Antarctic, along with its dynamics and relationships with the surrounding continents, and in particular South America: How abundant and diverse are the living resources of the Antarctica? ECOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE ANTARCTIC FUR SEAL, ARCTOCEPHALUS GAZELLA Principal investigator: Daniel TORRES CETACEAN ECOLOGY IN THE WATERS OF THE SOUTHERN OCEAN AND RELATED ECOSYSTEMS Principal investigator: Anelio AGUAYO, INACH. LOCAL PATTERNS OF SHALLOW ANTARCTIC ECHINODERMS WITH CONTRASTING DEVELOPMENTAL MODES: THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF PREDATION, FOOD AVAILABILITY AND ICE-RELATED DISTURBANCES Principal investigator: Álvaro PALMA, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. GENETIC POPULATION STRUCTURE OF THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA AND SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA HUMPBACK WHALE FEEDING AREAS USING MITOCHONDRIAL AND NUCLEAR DNA MARKERS Principal investigator: Carlos OLAVARRÍA, Fundación Centro de Estudios Cientificos del Cuaternario de Fuego-Patagonia y Antártica (CEQUA). 3. ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY IN ANTARCTIC ORGANISMS F. BALCELLS 7
4. ANTARCTIC ENVIRONMENT AND ITS BIORESOURCES J. MUÑOZ What are the characteristics of Antarctic organisms that make them tolerant of extreme environments? Will these characteristics ever have utility for humankind? One of the biggest treasure troves in Antarctica is the genetic material and biodiversity of its organisms. Chilean Antarctic scientific investigation has included as one of its objectives the addition of biotechnology as a new field of work. The organisms that live in Antarctica have adopted unique evolutionary paths. The extreme climate has led to the evolution of new biochemical adaptations in the face of extremely low temperatures, high levels of ultraviolet radiation, high levels of dehydration stress, and changes in salinity, among others. The reduction of populations during glacial events restricted and continues to interfere with genetic transfer. This has brought about unique genetic material which has received very little attention and study. This line of research attempts to uncover the secrets that evolution has brought about in the DNA of Antarctic organisms, with the incorporation of a biotechnological component which deals with the study of biochemicals and biocompounds which are present among the organisms that live in Antarctica and could have potential biotechnological applications. J. MUÑOZ 8
M. GIDEKEL This line covers eight scientific projects: ANTA R C T I C A : S O U R C E O F BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES FOR NATIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY Principal investigator: Jenny BLAMEY, Fundación Biociencia. D I V E R S I T Y S T U D I E S O F PSYCHROPHILIC PROKARYOTES FROM THE INSULAR ANTARCTIC TERRITORY: SEVEN ISOLATES FROM DIFFERENT PROTECTED SITES Principal investigator: Jenny BLAMEY, Fundación Biociencia. BACTERIAL MICROBIOTA OF THE FILDES PENINSULA, KING GEORGE ISLAND: BEHAVIOR RELATIVE TO ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS AND PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS WITH ANTIBACTERIAL CHARACTERISTICS Principal investigator: Mariana DOMÍNGUEZ, Universidad de Concepción. PRODUCTION OF DESCHAMPSIA ANTARCTICA CELLS IN BIOREACTORS. U S E S F O R T H E C O S M E T I C D E R M AT O L O G Y I N D U S T R Y INCLUDING CRYOPRESERVATION AND PHOTOPROTECTIVE AGENTS Principal investigator: Manuel GIDEKEL, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez. EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE INCREASES IN THE IMMUNE RESPONSE OF THE ANTARCTIC EQUINODERM STERECHINUS NEUMAYERI Principal investigator: Marcelo GONZÁLEZ, INACH. PHOTOPROTECTIVE MECHANISMS IN COLOBANTHUS QUITENSIS UNDER COLD-INDUCED PHOTOINHIBITION CONDITIONS Principal investigator: Luisa B A S C U Ñ Á N, U n i ve r s i d a d d e Concepción. DESCHAMPSIA ANTARCTICA: HYDROLYTIC AND METABOLIC ENZYMES FOR USE IN BIOTECHNOLOGY Principal investigator: Claudia RABERT, Universidad de La Frontera. EFFECTS OF SALINE STRESS IN THE COMPOSITION OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND IN GENETIC R E G U L AT I O N T H R O U G H T H E PHENYLPROPANOID PATHWAY IN DESCHAMPSIA ANTARCTICA Principal investigator: Pablo ZAMORA, Universidad de Santiago de Chile. 9
In addition to the projects in the four previous lines of research, there are four projects that consider other areas of polar investigation which are supported by INACH. HISTORICAL ARCHEOLOGY OF THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS Principal investigator: Rubén STEHBERG, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, in collaboration with Australian colleagues. NEUTRON MONITOR MN-64 FOR THE CHILEAN ANTARCTIC TERRITORY Principal investigator: Enrique CORDARO, Universidad de Chile, in collaboration with Italian researchers. BIODIESEL: A GREEN ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION IN ANTARCTIC BASES Principal investigator: Pedro CID-AGÜERO, Dirección de Programas Antárticos, Universidad de Magallanes. ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC BASES Principal investigator: Claudio CASICCIA, Universidad de Magallanes. NASA R. STEHBERG 5. OTHER INITIATIVES 10
Antarctic Psychrophiles Icthyosaurs of Torres del Paine 11
FINANCING New opportunities for Chilean Antarctic science INACH is a technical research organization under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with competence on all Antarctic scientific, technological and outreach matters. One of its strategies for providing greater resources for Chilean Antarctic Science has been to collaborate with other organizations dedicated to science and technology in Chile and abroad. In this way, during 2005, the Bicentennial Science and Technology Program, together with INACH, announced for the first time a competition relating to the Rings of Antarctic Research bringing together groups in academic institutions and strengthening the formation of human capital in polar research. The Ring projects are proposed at a high level, within the framework of the International Polar Year with peer evaluation by recognized international reviewers. Finally, for the purpose of increasing Chilean national critical mass in the Antarctic, in 2006 INACH initiated a program of Doctoral Thesis Support Scholarships for Antarctic subject matters. Postgraduate students will receive stipends for two years to develop their theses in several of the areas covered by the International Polar Year. As of now, research support grants have been provided to four doctoral candidates in Biogeography, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Physiology of Antarctic Organisms. In addition, thanks to an agreement between INACH and the Chilean National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FONDECYT) signed in March of 2007, investigators seeking funding for scientific research in Chile will be able to conduct projects in Antarctica with the logistical support of INACH, provided that the objectives of their projects are acceptable. As of 2004, INACH has proposed increases in the quality and the number of projects that Chile conducts in Antarctica, either by means of the aforementioned agreements, or through two competitive methods: one of them addresses research proposals involving activities in the Antarctic Continent (field studies) and the other finances analysis of material or data previously collected (theoretical or laboratory research projects, also known as cabinet projects. ) 12
PRINCIPAL LINES OF RESEARCH AND SOURCES OF FINANCING 13
Financing for Chilean Antarctic Science (2004-2011). The evolution of financing of Chilean Antarctic science since 2004, with projections through the year 2011, indicates 2008 as the year of comparatively greater investment. However, the projections show a decrease in financing after the International Polar Year. Productivity in Chilean Antarctic science (1980-2005). Chilean Antarctic scientific productivity, measured in terms of the number of ISI (Institute for Scientific Information) publications, shows a noteworthy increase in recent years. Maintaining this trend will require a policy that favors competition for scientific research projects, along with peer review in the selection process. Number of ISI publications Evolution of INACH projects (2000-2008). An increase in the sources and amounts of financing for Antarctic scientific research, a consequence of the International Polar Year, has resulted in an increase in the number of scientific projects. 14
DIRECTORY OF PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC PROJECT RESEARCH PERSONNEL AGUAYO Lobo, Anelio Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno. Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1055, Punta Arenas. (56-61) 298129 aaguayo@inach.cl BASCUÑÁN Godoy, Luisa Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción. Barrio Universitario s/n, Casilla 160-C, correo 3, Concepción. (56-41) 2204115 lubascun@udec.cl BLAMEY Alegría, Jenny Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia (Fundación Biociencia). José Domingo Cañas 2280, Ñuñoa, Santiago. (56-02) 343 25 78 jblamey@bioscience.cl CASANOVA Katny, María Angélica Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción. Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción. (56-09) 88677206 angecasanova@udec.cl CID-AGÜERO, Pedro Dirección de Programas Antárticos, Universidad de Magallanes. Av. Bulnes 01855, Punta Arenas. (56-61) 207187 pedro.cid@umag.cl CORDARO Cárdenas, Enrique Dpto. Física, Lab. Rad. Cósmica, Fac. Cs. F. y M., U. de Chile. Av. Blanco Encalada 2008, 3er piso. Casilla 5487, Santiago. (56-09) 9784383 ecordaro@dfi.uchile.cl DOMÍNGUEZ Yévenes, Mariana Depto. Microbiología, Fac. Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción. Barrio Universitario s/n, Casilla 160-C, correo 3, Concepción. (56-41) 2204115 mdomingu@udec.cl FAUGERON, Sylvain Laboratorio Internacional Asociado Dispersal and Adaptation in Marine Species (LIA-DIAMS), Dpto. Ecología, Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Alameda 340, Santiago. (56-02) 3542647 sfaugeron@bio.puc.cl GIDEKEL Blufstein, Manuel Dpto. Agroindustrias, Fac. Cs. Agropecuarias y Forestales, Universidad de La Frontera. Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco. (56-45) 325699 mgidekel@ufro.cl GONZÁLEZ Wevar, Claudio Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular, Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile. Avenida Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago. (56-09) 9787298 cagonzalez@uach.cl GONZÁLEZ Aravena, Marcelo Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno. Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1055, Punta Arenas. (56-61) 298146 mgonzalez@inach.cl JAÑA Obregón, Ricardo Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno. Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1055, Punta Arenas. (56-61) 298119 rjana@inach.cl KRAUS, Stefan Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno. Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1055, Punta Arenas. (56-61) 298135 skraus@inach.cl LEPPE Cartes, Marcelo Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno. Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1055, Punta Arenas. (56-61) 298128 mleppe@inach.cl OLAVARRÍA Barrera, Carlos Fundación Centro de Estudios del Cuaternario de Fuego-Patagonia y Antártica - INACH. Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1055, Punta Arenas. (56-61) 298165 carlos.olavarria@cequa.cl PALMA Behnke, Álvaro Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, P. Universidad Católica de Chile. Alameda 340, Santiago. (56-02) 6862610 apalma@bio.puc.cl POULIN Charmolue, Elie Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile. Av. Las Palmeras 3425, Casilla 653, Ñuñoa, Santiago. (56-09) 9787298 epoulin@uchile.cl PRÉNDEZ Bolívar, Margarita Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile. Olivos 1007, Independencia, Santiago. (56-2) 978 2806 mprendez@ciq.uchile.cl RABERT Pinilla, Claudia Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Agroindustrias, Universidad de La Frontera. Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco. (56-45) 325468 claudia_rabert@yahoo.com.ar RONDANELLI Reyes, Mauricio Departamento Forestal, Campus Los Ángeles, Universidad de Concepción. Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción. (56-43) 405261 mrondane@udec.cl SILVA Sandoval, Nelson Escuela Ciencias Del Mar, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso Avenida Altamirano 1480, Valparaíso. (56-32) 274246 nsilva@ucv.cl STEHBERG, Rubén Museo Nacional de Historia Natural Quinta Normal s/n, Santiago. Casilla 787, Santiago. (56-2) 6804611 rstehberg@mnhn.cl STINNESBECK, Wolfgang Geologisches Institut der Universität Heidelberg Im Neuenheimer Feld 234 D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany stinnesbeck@uni-heidelberg.de TORRES Navarro, Daniel Profesor de Biología dtorres@inach.cl TORRES González, Teresa Dpto. Prod. Agrícola, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile. Santa Rosa 11315, Campus ANTUMAPU, Casilla 1004, La Pintana, Santiago. (56-09) 9785727 ttorres@uchile.cl WENDT, Anja Centro de Estudios Científicos, CECS. Arturo Prat 514, Valdivia. (56-63) 234500 awendt@cecs.cl ZAMORA Cantillana, Pablo Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Alameda 3363, Estación Central, Santiago. (56-2) 6811100 anexo 2428 pzamora@usach.cl 15
16