The Scientific Committees of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (SC-CCAMLR) and the International Whaling Commission (SC-IWC) have agreed to hold a joint Workshop to review input data required for ecosystem models being developed to provide management and conservation advice on krill predators in the Antarctic marine ecosystem.

Based on the Terms of Reference developed by the SC-CCAMLR and the discussion by the SC-IWC in 2006, the Joint Steering Group has formulated the following common Terms of Reference for the Workshop:

1. for models on the Antarctic marine ecosystem, and in particular predator-prey relationships, that could be developed for providing management and conservation advice relevant to CCAMLR and IWC, consider the types, relative importance and uncertainties associated with input data for those models, in order to understand what is needed to reduce uncertainties and errors in their use;
2. review the available input data from published and unpublished sources that are currently available for such models;
3. summarise the nature of input data (e.g. abundance estimates, trend estimates, foraging scales, seasonal diet etc), based on metadata (see definition below), by describing methodology, broad levels of uncertainty, time series, spatial extent and determine the appropriate scale at which those input data are relevant to these modelling efforts; and
4. identify and prioritise the gaps in knowledge and types of analyses and field research programs needed to reduce important uncertainties in ecosystem models being developed for CCAMLR and IWC and how scientists from the two Commissions can best collaborate and share data to maximise the rate of development and scientific quality of modelling efforts and input data.

Venue and timing: Hobart in August 2008.

Joint Steering Group: The Joint Steering Group comprises Steering Committees from each of the SC-CCAMLR and SC-IWC.

SC-CCAMLR Steering Committee: Constable (Convenor; andrew.constable@aad.gov.au), Goebel. Kovacs, Pierre, Ramm, Reid, Southwell, Trathan.

SC-IWC Steering Committee: Gales (Convenor; nick.gales@aad.gov.au), Bjørge, Butterworth, DeMaster, Donovan, Grandy, Hedley, Kock, Leaper (Rebecca), Mitsuyo, Hiroto, Polacheck.

The following documents are available to download: