25 Luglio 2020

Camp Byers (Campamento Byers) is a Spanish seasonal base camp located at 62°39′49″South, 61°05′58″West on the south beaches of Byers Peninsula, in the western part of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. The locality is also designated for use as an International Field Camp. When necessary for scientific research purposes, temporary camping is allowed elsewhere on the protected peninsula under certain conditions. The camp was installed to support the scientific research in the area during short periods of time. Due to the increasing interest in the area, the camp is still operative but can be easily dismantled when required. It is maintained by the personnel of Juan Carlos I station (WAP ESP-Ø1) who keep the camp in a good condition year by year. The camp consists in two fiber glass “melon huts” each of 6m x 2m in size, one set up for scientific research and the other for domestic activities. The camp is open to all the Parties.

The main access is by ship or helicopter. Parties should liase with Spain, Spanish Polar Committee, to co-ordinate access to the melon huts.

Byers Peninsula offers many features as an international reference site given it is one of the largest ice-free areas in the Antarctic Peninsula region, it has a variety of different landscape units, and it hosts diverse aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, the Byers Peninsula is a hotspot for Antarctic biodiversity, and because of its high level of environmental protection, it has been very little affected by human activities. Finally, the proximity to the Spanish polar installations on Livingston Island and the experience derived from previous expeditions to the site make it logistically feasible as a site for ongoing monitoring and research.