This book provides a useful and interesting introduction to the health and related issues of Antarctica's seabirds and seals. It includes a great deal of information about known diseases and is therefore intended for, by the authors’ own admission, a broad audience, including veterinary and biological scientists and policy makers and administrators who are tasked with ensuring the continued health of Antarctica's wildlife. As an ecologist with more than a passing interest in policy related matters I found this volume to be of considerable interest. In numerous places the book causes the reader to recall the continued importance of disease as a selective pressure and how this is important in shaping ecological interactions. More explicitly it also links this concept with the many current and varied international efforts to understand climate variability impacts on the Antarctic ecosystem. Climate change will potentially allow a variety of introduced diseases to enter the Antarctic system, with unforeseen consequences. The importance of appropriate policy and management is therefore critical for ensuring the continuing health of Antarctica's seabirds and seals.

The editors have separated the book into two parts: the first section covers wildlife disease and comprises nine contributions covering disease reviews, case studies and health assessments; the second section covers external factors and comprises eight contributions covering environmental, administrative and legal issues.

As yet there is no conclusive evidence that humans have been responsible for the introduction or spread of any disease, alien introduced or endemic, amongst wildlife populations or breeding aggregations in the Antarctic. This is a remarkable achievement. Nevertheless, the risk of introducing alien organisms is real and may be increasing with climate change. The considerable efforts of the international community working within the Antarctic are therefore important and there is a continuing need to develop and implement precautionary measures.

Disease organisms are normal ecological components that affect all plants and animals in both the Antarctic marine and terrestrial systems. In pre-history, disease outbreaks would have occurred, as they will continue to occur into the future. Antarctica's remoteness means that such outbreaks are generally unobserved, and even where they have been recorded, it is rare that an infective organism or cause is ever isolated. Further, clinical symptoms do not necessarily mean that an isolated pathogen is actually the cause of a reported disease outbreak. Thus, the first part of this volume is extremely valuable in that it provides a brief overview of the different diseases commonly found in wild populations of Antarctic seabirds (Chapter 2) and seals (Chapter 3). Mass mortality events do occur and it is remarkably difficult to attribute cause (Chapter 1). If this is difficult, then it is also recognised that it is also even more difficult to stem the progress of such an event. An important conclusion is therefore that humans must, as a priority, refrain from exacerbating naturally occurring disease or mass mortality events. Reports of naturally occurring disease events (Chapters 4 to 6) are therefore extremely valuable as they provide important experience for others coming across or managing such situations. Determining whether disease levels are unusual, or abnormal, requires information about the expected species, types and levels of infective organisms commonly encountered in a given species of seabird or seal. Such descriptions (Chapters 7 to 9) are rare and must be encouraged, particularly those that take an epidemiological standpoint.

The Antarctic is different to many other parts of the planet. It is large, remote and inhospitable to humans. Such factors mean therefore that managing human interactions in the Antarctic that may exacerbate naturally occurring disease or mass mortality events is critical. Understanding how man may introduce disease or how man's influence on climate may lead to increased transmission of infective organisms from other more temperate or sub-polar latitudes is complex. Certainly critical ecological interactions may be unexpected. Thus understanding the drivers of change and developing risk based procedures to prevent change are fundamental. The second part of the book starts with a brief discussion (Chapter 10) of Antarctic climate; such a starting point emphasises how climate must be considered in all situations, both as a contributing factor and as an impediment to understanding. The main expeditions to the Antarctic include those of national operators (Chapter 11) and those of non-governmental tourist operations (Chapter 12). Such expeditions have very different ‘footprints’ and both generate different risk situations. Humans have definitely impacted upon Antarctic wildlife (Chapter 13) through the harvesting of marine living resources, though as yet humans have not knowingly been involved in introducing disease. Human interactions are also thought to expose wildlife to stress, so measuring stress levels in a variety of seabird and seal species is increasingly important (Chapter 14). Similarly, understanding the potential pathogenic levels associated with human sewage treatment and disposal (Chapter 15) is essential. Legislating (Chapters 16 and 17) for these and other possible factors leading to impacts on health and/or outbreaks of disease requires careful consideration.

The editors note in their introduction that mechanisms are now in place within the Antarctic Treaty System, particularly through the Madrid Protocol of 1991 (implemented through the Committee for Environmental Protection) to protect the health of Antarctica's seabirds and seals (and indeed other wildlife) through informed debate and the regulation of human activity. They conclude that what is needed now is the will of all nations involved in activities that have a ‘footprint’ in the Antarctic to work to the spirit (and not just the letter) of the existing regulatory framework. This is likely to become progressively more important in the future as climate change and increased human activity in the Antarctic lead to greater risk of disease introduction or transmission.

This volume set out to provide an up-to-date overview for a broad audience. Such a task is a ‘tall order’; however, this book does not disappoint and offers a comprehensive primer and source of reference for both scientists and policy advisers alike. It brings together a comprehensive set of contributions and an important bibliography that I for one, will consult well into the future.