During the past eight austral summers beginning in 1966-1967, ecological and environmental impact studies were conducted on the Antarctic Continent, [12] primarily in the dry valley region of south Victoria Land. The early studies in this series were designed to determine the environmental relationships between simple, fragile, undisturbed soil and microbial ecosystems and the distribution, abundance, and kinds of indigenous microorganisms present in an effort to shed some light on the life-forms that might occur on Mars. As a result of these studies, an ecological sequence of microbial and cryptogamic populations was determined along an environmental gradient to the southernmost exposed area of rock and soil, Mount Howe (elevation, 2800m; 87 degrees 21 minutes S, 149 degrees 18 minutes West). In contrast to these early studies on undisturbed ecosystems, later studies have been devoted to determining the extent of man’s impact on Antarctic ecosystems, including the effects of his permanent habitations. Special attention has been given to monitoring the activities of the Dry Valleys Drilling Project and subsequent observations of perturbations resulting from drill fluid leaks and spills, and the effects of the introduction of an increased number of microbial contaminants in the surrounding environment as a result of drilling and field camp activities. These contaminants included previously undetectable molds, Penicillium spp., and spore-forming bacteria such as Bacillus spp. And nonindigenous coryneforms. The predictive survival time and the adaptive ability of the microorganisms introduced into the Antarctic ecosystems remain to be determined, as well as the extent of amelioration of drill-fulid impregnated materials, soils, and waters at the various drill sites and the costs of methods for the removal of such materials. During the time span of these studies the results of basic research have been applied to practical problem seas and may be appliCable to other fields of activity such as the exploitation of fossil and geothermal energy sources.