Rationale for the scientific station at Marion Island
Initially, the meteorological station set up after annexation was the prime reason for the continued staffing and occupation of Marion base. These meteorological activities have also remained one of the most important motivations for the base. They play an important role in weather forecasts for South Africa, and are crucial for understanding the global climate, how it varies from year to year, and how humans are affecting it. The small team of meteorologists going to the island each year are responsible for making sure that the weather data reaches South Africa intact. Although much of the weather monitoring is now automated, upper air (bolug) ascents are still launched by hand twice a day, 365 days a year (irrespective of the weather conditions!).Results from the early scientific expeditions, such as those of the HMS Challenger, and Bougainville expedition, together with the work of Bob Rand, set the stage for biological investigations at the islands. The collections and observations made during these expeditions, together with the wealth of information collected by the first biological and geological expedition of 1965, spurred further biological interest in the islands. Since then, biological research has been a regular and ongoing activity that, along with the weather monitoring, has produced over 800 scientific publications in addition to many popular articles, films and videos.
Scientific work, and mainly biological research, now forms one of the other major reasons for maintenance of the scientific station at the Prince Edward Islands. The information gained from thirty three years of continuous biological research has resulted in an almost unparalleled understanding of the islands' animals, plants and ecosystems, both in a South African and global context. In consequence, the stage has been well set for addressing many of the environmental management problems at the islands and for examining additional important ideas in ecology. Examples of the former include the very successful cat eradication programme that took place in the late 1980s, and the current studies on the effects of fishing in the southern ocean on bird and mammal species. But perhaps the most important ecological ideas that can be tested using the islands ecosystems are those that have to do with global climate change. Over the past few hundred years a slow, but steady increase in average temperatures has been recorded around the world. This increase has been very rapid in the sub-Antarctic (as much as 1° C in the last 50 years), and the trend seems set to continue. In other words, temperatures are rising faster in the sub-Antarctic than elsewhere, and if we want to predict how ecosystems the world over will respond to higher temperatures, the sub-Antarctic islands will provide a chance to do so.
In sum, Marion base serves the general public of South Africa, and the broader global community, by providing information that can be used to understand weather systems and climate, and by providing research that is necessary to understand how ecosystems work and how species survive in the numbers and places they do. In this context it is important to remember, however, that without the logistic support of everyone, from administration in Pretoria and stores in Cape Town, to the ship's master, officers and crew, helicopter crews, support staff on the island, and public works maintenance teams, the Marion base and its research programmes would be inoperable.
Taken from "An introductory guide to the Marion and Prince Edward Island Special Nature Reserves, 50 years after annexation", Christine Hanel and Steven Chown, Published by DEA&T, First Edition ISBN 0-621-28856-X
