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This study was intended to identify mussel species from the Magellanic ecotone, quantifying interspecific hybridization within Mytilus and depicting the genetic architecture of Mytilus chilensis in its South Pacific range.The analysis comprises the sub‐Antarctic Magallanes Province as a rich ecotone of climates, ecosystems and admixed faunas embedded among the biogeographic regions of the Pacific, the Atlantic, and Antarctica.Highly conserved molecular sequences within species were used to identify species, and polymorphic microsatellites were used to calculate the genetic architecture of M. chilensis. The absence of the invasive species Mytilus galloprovincialis from the M. chilensis range clarifies previous doubts on its expansion southward from the Arauco Gulf. The ubiquitous presence of the typical Glu‐5′‐Me‐15/16 PAP allele of Mytilus trossulus in the Northern Hemisphere might come from hull biofouling, but rather it seems to be an ancient polymorphism conserved in M. chilensis as occurs in blue mussels from other regions of the Southern Hemisphere. There is a very limited connectivity (FST = 0.167) between two latitudinal gene pools of M. chilensis that are highly divergent in composition, architecture, and ecological relevance.Fifty years of aquaculture enhancement in Los Lagos explains its high diversity and genetic heterogeneity among patches, so its mussel management should seek a balance between exploitation and environmental sustainability.The Magellanic ecotone bears a pristine M. chilensis × Mytilus edulis platensis hybrid zone around the Southern Cone, larger (450 km) than previously thought. Such a hybrid zone permeates one of the last remaining wilderness areas in the world (Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve) and is a natural laboratory for addressing introgression, hybridization, and evolution of Mytilus spp. genomes in their last southern frontier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture expansion is already the primary cause of terrestrial biodiversity loss globally 1,2 ; yet, to meet the demands of growing human populations, production is expected to have to double by 2050. 3 The challenge of achieving expansion without further detriment to the environment and biodiversity is huge and potentially compounded by climate change, which may necessitate shifting agriculture zones poleward to regions with more suitable climates, 4 threatening species or areas of conservation priority. 5,6,7 However, the possible future overlap between agricultural suitability and wilderness areas, increasingly recognized for significant biodiversity, cultural, and climate regulation values, has not yet been examined. Here, using high-resolution climate data, we model global present and future climate suitability for 1,708 crop varieties. We project, over the next 40 years, that 2.7 million km2 of land within wilderness will become newly suitable for agriculture, equivalent to 7% of the total wilderness area outside Antarctica. The increase in potentially cultivable land in wilderness areas is particularly acute at higher latitudes in the northern hemisphere, where 76.3% of newly suitable land is currently wilderness, equivalent to 10.2% of the total wilderness area. Our results highlight an important and previously unidentified possible consequence of the disproportionate warming known to be occurring in high northern latitudes. Because we find that, globally, 72.0% of currently cultivable land is predicted to experience a net loss in total crop diversity, agricultural expansion is a major emerging threat to wilderness. Without protection, the vital integrity of these valuable areas could be irreversibly lost. • As climate warms, crop production will increasingly shift into wilderness areas • 2.7 million km2 of wilderness will become suitable for agriculture within 40 years • High-latitude wilderness in the northern hemisphere is particularly threatened • Agricultural expansion is a major emerging threat to wilderness areas Gardner et al. show a stark increase in land within wilderness that will become newly suitable for agriculture within the next 40 years. They draw attention to this major emerging threat to wilderness, highlighting that without protection, the vital integrity of these valuable areas could be irreversibly lost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the permanent and transitory footprints that the Antarctic wilderness left on 218 army servicemen who wintered in Chilean Antarctic Base Bernando O'Higgins between 1948 and 1958. The research –based on military personnel records, diaries, as well as books published by such staff- does not focus in the traditional perspective that examines the impact of human activities on nature, but aspires –on the one hand- to examine men's perceptions of the white continent, and –on the other hand- it aims to analyze and understand how the hostile Antarctic wilderness has affected men's behaviors and feelings over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceptions of tourism held by a sample of New Zealand's Antarctic community are explored, and the small, mixed group of scientists and support workers that populate Scott Base (New Zealand's research base in the Ross Dependency, Antarctica) are treated as proxy for a ‘host’ community. This exploration is part of a wider study that set out to investigate the nature and meanings of Antarctic heritage. Although the research did not explicitly set out to survey perceptions of tourism, approximately one-half of those interviewed in the wider study gave an insight into this topic. The qualitative data reported were gathered during two visits to Scott Base in 1999. From the responses a three-fold classification was derived, indicating degrees of tolerance toward tourism: cautious, complex and comfortable tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the tourist experiences and tourism activity across the geographical diversity of the Rosa Sea Region and the Antarctica Peninsula. The importance of researching the entire travel process lies in the interaction of stages and transitions between each stage. The mixed-method approach has been shown to be advantageous in its allowance for confirmation or corroboration of the results, its examination of a phenomenon using multiple perspectives and its compensation for single-method weaknesses by providing flexibility and validation of data. In understanding tourists' anticipation of an experience in remote and wilderness areas, the proposed research seeks to provide comparative research with other similar studies, allowing for strengthened conclusions and recommendations. Ecotourism and Antarctic tourism is often justified by the claim that it promotes ambassadorship or conservation benefit, but the claims remain anecdotally researched. The costs and impacts of tourist visits to the region are being researched both by the academic and government sectors. Only once the benefits and potential for the facilitation of ambassadorship of tourists visits to Antarctica have been examined through empirical research can analysis and comparison occur.

Protected areas (PAs) have been established worldwide for achieving long-term goals in the conservation of nature with the associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Globally, 15% of the world's terrestrial lands and inland waters, excluding Antarctica, are designated as PAs. About 4.12% of the global ocean and 10.2% of coastal and marine areas under national jurisdiction are set as marine protected areas (MPAs). Protected lands and waters serve as the fundamental building blocks of virtually all national and international conservation strategies, supported by governments and international institutions. Some of the PAs are the only places that contain undisturbed landscape, seascape and ecosystems on the planet Earth. With intensified impacts from climate and environmental change, PAs have become more important to serve as indicators of ecosystem status and functions. Earth's remaining wilderness areas are becoming increasingly important buffers against changing conditions. The development of remote sensing platforms and sensors and the improvement in science and technology provide crucial support for the monitoring and management of PAs across the world. In this editorial paper, we reviewed research developments using state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies, discussed the challenges of remote sensing applications in the inventory, monitoring, management and governance of PAs and summarized the highlights of the articles published in this Special Issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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