Conservation by Community: Biosecurity in Antarctica

Biosecurity in Antarctica is highly regarded because the continent’s unique environment is extremely sensitive to introduced species and pathogens. Any non-native organisms or diseases could have devastating effects on the fragile Antarctic ecosystems, which are already under pressure from climate change. Maintaining strict biosecurity measures helps preserve the pristine nature of Antarctica and protects its native flora and fauna.

As Antarctica does not "belong" to any country, it is governed by a group of nations in a unique international collaboration.

Stakeholders involved in protecting biosecurity in Antarctica include national governments, scientific organizations, 

environmental groups, tour operators, and the Antarctic Treaty System, which consists of countries with research stations in the region. Additionally, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) plays a crucial role in promoting and enforcing biosecurity guidelines among tourism operators in the region.

In this webinar series, learn from expedition leaders about the pristine and sensitive ecology of the Antarctica, Continent 7, and let us collectively think of how we too can protect our mega-biodiversity.

Speaker profile.

H.E. Manuel José BALAGUER SALAS  

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Argentine Republic to Malaysia

Career diplomat, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 8 th , 1966. He obtained a law degree in the National University of Buenos Aires  (1990) and later entered the Foreign Service Institute of Argentina,  from where he graduated in 1992. 

He began his diplomatic career in the Undersecretariat of International  Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where, among other  issues, he was responsible for the implementation of the Argentine  Fund for South-South Cooperation. Between 1997 and 2004 he served in the Argentine Embassy in France, in the Political Section.  During his assignment, he was awarded the decoration of the Order of Merit by the French  Government. 

In Paris, he was also Argentine delegate and Vice President of the Executive Committee of the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE).  Back in his country, he was appointed Head of the Office of Decrees and Resolutions of the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2004-2005) and then Chief of Staff of the Undersecretariat of Latin  American Policy (2005-2007). Between 2008 and 2013, he was in charge of the Department of Culture and Education in the  Argentine Embassy in Chile. From 2014 to February 2016, he has served as Chief of Staff of the Undersecretariat of Foreign  Policy, which is responsible, among other functions, for the relationship with the countries of  Southeast Asia. 

In 2016, he arrived in Kuala Lumpur as Ambassador-Designate of the Argentine Republic to  Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. He presented the Letters of Credence to His Majesty the King  of Malaysia on July 18th , 2016, and to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei  Darussalam on March 13th, 2018. In addition to Spanish, he speaks fluent English and French, and has knowledge of German. He is married and has four children.

Yusuf Hashim

Explorer, retired corporate leader and published photographer

Yusuf Hashim is an ex-corporate man who dared to take his life in a different direction. He retired at 53 from his CEO job at Shell after fulfilling his duties as a son, husband and father. He has spent the last twenty years traveling off the beaten path to countries exotic and unknown. His motto? Your money is not your own UNTIL YOU SPEND IT.

Hannah Lawson

Expedition Leader, Ornithologist, Marine Mammal Guide, Citizen Science coordinator, Education coordinator

Hannah has a particular love of birdlife and marine mammals and has been sharing her thrill for the natural world working aboard Expedition Ships in remote regions since 1999.

A zoology student at the University of Liverpool, England, Hannah changed direction after graduation and worked as a wildlife artist and mural painter in Africa for several years. On her return to the UK she gained a Masters in Natural History Illustration from the Royal College of Art in London. During her student years she spent her time doing practical conservation projects as a leader with British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.

She is now able to divide her time between doing artwork from her studio in England and working as a wildlife guide, zodiac driver and expedition leader. She visits the Antarctic peninsula and South Georgia annually in the Austral summer and then heads north to cruise the shoreline of the UK, Norway and the Arctic, swapping penguin sightings for polar bears, and sketching, photographing and learning about the lives of the creatures she sees along the way.

Danny Edmund

History and Science lecturer, Antarctica expedition leader

In 2003 Danny grew tired of earning a living building databases and living in central London and since then he’s worked as a photographer, diver, travel writer and Expedition Leader in some of the most undeveloped and remote parts of the world. He's driven Zodiacs in all the oceans on the planet, radio-tracked Spectacled bears in the Ecuadorian Andes, surveyed horse-mussel beds off the Llyn peninsula in north Wales and updated the Bradt Guides to Mozambique and Spitsbergen. 

Danny spent 16 months living south of the Antarctic Circle, working as the Boating Officer at Rothera, the British Antarctic Survey base down on the Antarctic Peninsula, and has a further fourteen seasons experience working on ships in the Southern Ocean. He is a BSAC Diving Instructor and has worked in East Africa, Wales, Gibralter, the Isles of Scilly and Antarctica on marine monitoring projects. He is based in Shropshire in the UK, a place he loves because of its lack of a coastline.

He is proud to have one scientific paper to his name, a 5 page note on the presence of Seagrass beds in the waters of Gibraltar which can be summed up in one short sentence: “There are none.”

Laura Mony

Geologist and Glaciologist, Antarctica expedition leader

The ocean had always been part of Laura’s life. She started spending time on sailboats when she was a baby and she sailed around the world crossing several oceans when she was between 12 and 14 years old. That trip increased her passion for the ocean because she discovered its vastness and its importance on the earth’s dynamic. Laura had the chance to start traveling very young and has been all over the world alone, with her backpack, family or friends. These trips gave her the opportunity to develop an open mind and an intellectual curiosity about the climate phenomena that govern our planet.

Born in France, she grew up in the French part of Canada where she did her bachelor’s degree in Geological Engineering. During her bachelor’s degree, she became fascinated by the polar regions and wanted to continue her studies in that field. That is why, at the end of her degree, she left Canada for Tasmania, Australia, to do her Master in Marine and Antarctic Science. During that degree she deeply studied this fascinating continent with a specialization in geophysics and glaciology. Since 2018, she has been guiding in polar region in both Antarctica and the Arctic. She spent a lot of time in Geenland where she crossed the ice sheet using kite ski. For Laura, Antarctica’s is her first polar love, but visiting the Arctic region made her discovered a whole other, majestic and beautiful part of the world.

Marcos Goldin

Geologist, Arctic, Patagonia and Antarctica expedition guide

Marcos developed a profound connection and passion for the wild from a young age. After spending his childhood years having scuba diving and sailing adventures in Patagonia's rugged coastline, he ventured into the realm of the mountains, compelling him to explore Earth's varied terrains ever since. 

Driven by an endless curiosity, Marcos pursued a career as a Geologist, equipping him with the basic toolset to better understand the places that he so deeply loves. After years in the oil industry and fueled by an insatiable desire to share the magic of the outdoors with others, he transitioned into becoming a Mountain Guide. Few pursuits rival his joy in discussing the wonders of Earth's inner workings in nature's own classroom.

Through a nomadic existence, Marcos continued drifting south, finally reaching the alluring Patagonia, a place he now proudly calls home. In the present, he divides his time between guiding in the Arctic, Patagonia and Antarctic. When not at work, he can be found out in the mountains climbing, hiking, skiing or just planning his next big adventure.