Our Mission

ICTAR grows out of over 35 years of terrestrial Antarctic research at the University of Waikato. After the massive NZTABS project the international team of collaborators wanted to galvanize terrestrial Antarctic research in New Zealand by creating a centre that allowed members to continue collaboration in new projects. This has included sharing logistical support, gaining better geographic coverage and better overall science. It was timely to establish a central operational unit to focus and manage terrestrial research in New Zealand.

ICTAR aims to provide the science that will underpin the conservation, protection, and management of terrestrial ecosystems of the Ross Sea region. Its innovative, integrated, and interdisciplinary approach is to design new methods to elucidate the status of the present biodiversity, and to predict the effects of multiple impacts on ecosystems. It draws on research talent from the University of Waikato’s faculties of Science & Engineering and Arts & Social Sciences, and includes colleagues from the Gateway Antarctica at Canterbury, researchers from Auckland and Otago, and from eight countries — Spain, UK, USA, South Africa, Australia, Germany, China, Austria.

Our mission is to promote the protection of Antarctica through integrated international research into Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems assuring New Zealand’s continued leadership in this area.

If you are interested in learning more about ICTAR or would like a public talk within the Hamilton area please contact us