New Terrestrial Protected Areas Research and Monitoring Plan

June 20, 2025

GSGSSI is pleased to announce the publication of a new Terrestrial Protected Areas Research and Monitoring Plan to guide scientific activities that will contribute to the sustainable management and regulation of these unique and awe-inspiring islands.

In July 2022, the Government of SGSSI designated the entire landmass of South Georgia and its outlying islands, and the South Sandwich Islands as Specially Protected Areas under The Wildlife and Protected Areas (Specially Protected Areas) Order 2022. These Terrestrial Protected Areas (TPAs) cover over 3,800 km² and complement the Marine Protected Area, which covers the whole 1.24m km² Maritime Zone, thus ensuring that the whole of SGSSI lies within a protected area system.

The Terrestrial Protected Areas have two overarching Conservation Objectives: (i) the conservation, protection and preservation of the ecosystem and restoration of biodiversity, and (ii) that activities carried out in the TPA are managed sustainably with minimal impacts on the ecosystem.

Following the designation of the Terrestrial Protected Areas, GSGSSI published the TPA Management Plan (2023-2029). A key commitment within that document was to develop a Research & Monitoring Plan (RMP) within 18 months of the Management Plan being adopted, which would review existing monitoring and data gathering activities within the Territory and map these against TPA management aims.

GSGSSI contracted the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI) to develop the TPA Research & Monitoring Plan through a programme of literature and data reviews, gap analyses, and consultation with the TPA Advisory Group and other stakeholders. GSGSSI is very grateful to all those who took the time to contribute to the process, and to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for funding the project.

The RMP is organised on the basis of research and monitoring themes aligned with the objectives of the TPA. Under each theme, the RMP identifies the current and required monitoring activities that will provide information on the status of key features protected by the TPA, particularly in terms of monitoring environmental change and the impact of human activities.

As part of the GSGSSI Pathway to Protection, the TPAs will be assessed and monitored, thereby informing the refinement of management and regulation in the future. The Government intends to review the RMP within a maximum of six years of publication to assess progress against the research and monitoring needs. Based on this assessment, identified gaps can be listed as priorities for further research, and management actions or further monitoring can be initiated to ensure the ongoing protection of the islands.