S.T. Lee Lecture 2026
Protecting Antarctic Waters: Conserving Biodiversity through International Diplomacy
Tuesday 8 December 2026
Associate Professor Cassandra Brooks
University of Colorado Boulder, USA
Synopsis of lecture
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.
Cassandra Brooks
Dr Cassandra Brooks is an Associate Professor in Environmental Studies and a Faculty Fellow at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder. An interdisciplinary scientist working at the science-policy interface, her research focuses on marine conservation, Antarctic governance, and international environmental diplomacy. She leads the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area Research Coordination Network and serves as Chief Officer of SCAR’s Standing Committee on the Antarctic Treaty System.