State of the Marine Environment in Antarctica - UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 129

The better understanding of the changing problems facing the marine environment is a continuing goal of UNEP's ocean programme, as it provides the necessary scientific background for shaping UNEP's policy towards the protection of the oceans.

The main sources of factual information used in the assessment of the state of the marine environment are data published in open scientific literature, data available in various reports published as "grey literature" and data generated through numerous research and monitoring programmes sponsored by UNEP and other organizations.