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International audience; The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf (SOISS) Marine Protected Area (MPA) was the first MPA anywhere in the world to be designated entirely within the High Seas and is managed under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). As part of efforts to undertake research and monitoring in and around the MPA, an international expedition ('SO-AntEco') was undertaken in the austral summer of 2016, on board the British Antarctic Survey research ship RRS James Clark Ross. The focus of the expedition was to contribute towards a better understanding of selected benthic habitats around the South Orkney Islands, and the biodiversity within those habitats, in relation to the geomorphic zones both inside and outside the SOISS MPA. This addresses a key objective set out by the draft SOISS MPA Research and Monitoring Plan (SC-CAMLR, 2014). The benthic assemblages of the SOISS MPA region were found to be strongly correlated with the texture of the seafloor, where hard substrates hosted a greater number of individuals, taxa and biomass with a dominance of filter feeding Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem (VME) taxa, and soft sediments were dominated mostly by deposit feeders. Substantial differences in the abundance of VME taxa were found between two sampling gears used (shallow underwater camera system and Agassiz trawl). We conclude that camera systems may be more suitable for VME assessments than the Agassiz trawl, but in addition where possible, additional trawling is advisable for collecting all faunal types and for higher taxonomic resolution. The designation of VME locations or MPAs based purely on geomorphic classification is not advisable, due to small scale variation in substrate and other local physical influences; however, the utility of such classifications may be improved with the inclusion of additional environmental factors e.g. substrate type.

The reefs of Rodrigues were some of the few reef areas in the Indian Ocean to escape the mass coral bleaching event of 1997–1998. However, during the last 2 weeks of February 2002 Rodrigues experienced sea-water temperatures over 30°C, clear skies and calm seas. Rapid assessments of the degree of coral bleaching and coral mortality were carried out at 22 sites around the coast of Rodrigues during March 2002. The surveys showed that the bleaching event in Rodrigues was not widespread, occurring at less than one-third of the sites surveyed and that coral mortality was restricted to sites in the north and west of the island. Where mortality did occur, it was severe, affecting up to 75% of corals at some sites. Coral species most vulnerable were Acropora cytherea and Acropora abrotanoides, which suffered up to 100% mortality. These colonies were still standing and had been very recently overgrown with turf algae. At present the reefs around Rodrigues are in good health, however, they are being impacted by ove...