List of Italian research projects that contribute to the Research and Monitoring Plan for the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area

This paper provides a summary of research projects led by Italy in the frame of PNRA (Italian Programme of Researches in Antarctica) that are relevant to monitoring and research in relation to the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area. The inventory includes: (1) research to establish “baseline” environmental and ecological conditions in the Ross Sea region; (2) “process-based” research to understand environmental and ecological processes and interactions. The intention of this paper is to present the information so that it is useful to researchers in different ways. First, to help researchers to identify existing PNRA data for retrospective analysis. Second to identify Italian scientists and research expertise to stimulate and facilitate new international agreement on collaborative international research on the Ross Sea Region.