ys ical ▁Year ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁and ▁was ▁man ned ▁perman ently ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁when ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁fire . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁then ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁summer ▁only ▁base ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁site ▁is ▁currently ▁being ▁rem edi ated ▁by ▁removing ▁ha z ard ous ▁materials : ▁fuel , ▁and ▁oil ▁stored ▁in ▁several ▁large ▁t anks . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁an ▁on going ▁project ▁which ▁will ▁take ▁several ▁years ▁to ▁complete . ▁ ▁Ant ar ctic ▁Spe cially ▁Prote cted ▁Area ▁An ▁area ▁of ▁ 7 4   ha ▁is ▁protected ▁under ▁the ▁Ant ar ctic ▁Tre aty ▁System ▁as ▁Ant ar ctic ▁Spe cially ▁Prote cted ▁Area ▁( AS PA ) ▁No . 1 0 6 ▁because ▁it ▁contains ▁habit ats ▁with ▁a ▁rich ▁and ▁diverse ▁range ▁of ▁plant ▁communities ▁that ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁extensive ▁and ▁representative ▁examples ▁known ▁at ▁the ▁northern ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁lat itud inal ▁gradient ▁of ▁Victoria ▁Land ▁and ▁the ▁Ross ▁Sea . ▁ ▁Sur ve ys ▁have ▁recorded ▁ 1 8 ▁species ▁of ▁l ich ens ▁and ▁five ▁species ▁of ▁m oss es , ▁domin ated ▁by ▁Bry um ▁sub rot und if ol ium . ▁ ▁Anim als ▁found ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁include , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁four ▁species ▁of ▁mit es ▁and ▁three ▁of ▁spring t ails , ▁bre eding ▁colon ies ▁of ▁south ▁polar ▁sk u as ▁and ▁Ad é lie ▁p engu ins . ▁