This study is the first to quantify and to map the provision of ecosystem core services (ES) – tourism, genetic
diversity and carbon sequestration – for a large Antarctic marine area, the Weddell Sea. Additionally, synergies
and trade-offs between the ES were explored. The analyses conducted during this study covered both spatial and
temporal correlations between pairs of ES, and between individual ES and sea ice coverage. Overall, service
delivery in the studied seascape is distinctly heterogeneous, albeit there are areas where multiple benefits are
provided simultaneously (“super hotspots”). Our findings indicate that in wide parts of the Weddell Sea, small scale conservation efforts may not achieve their intended goals. They also show that particularly sea ice cover restrains tourism, i.e. this sector may expect strong growth in a future of global warming driven sea ice retreat
