Abstract:

The Southern Ocean and Antarctic continent have scientific, economic and strategic significance because of their unique geographic location, extreme climate and abundant resources. Many countries have national interests in the region and are actively involved in the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) around Antarctica. Although China continues to pay attention to the Antarctic MPA, there are few relevant reports on MPAs, and suitability evaluation indices from model studies on the establishment of an Antarctic MPA are almost blank. Under these circumstances, this study attempted to construct a multilevel evaluation index system to help establish Antarctic MPAs, through analyzing existing proposals for an Antarctic MPA. Using Chinese Antarctic scientific investigation data, we also evaluate the suitability of establishing an MPA in the Prydz Bay. The aim of this study is to develop a reference index for the establishment and relevant researches of MPAs in the Antarctic region.

Key words: marine protected area(MPA), suitability evaluation, evaluation index system, regionalization analysis, Antarctica, case study