CU Sustainability Research Summit Keynote Speaker - Cassandra Brooks

Protecting Antarctic Waters: The Ross Sea and Beyond

Antarctica is one of the world’s last great wildernesses and plays a vital role in Earth’s climate and ocean systems. Yet its unique marine ecosystems face increasing pressure from fishing and climate change. In this lecture, Dr Cassandra Brooks explores the international effort to establish the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area—the largest no-take marine protected area in the world—and the challenges of expanding protection across Antarctica. Drawing on two decades of research and policy experience, she discusses how science, conservation, and diplomacy intersect in the quest to safeguard Antarctic waters and why the future of the Ross Sea is a critical test of global cooperation in a changing world.