21 March, 2025
The waters surrounding South Georgia, nestled beneath glaciated mountains, are among the most biologically rich in the Southern Ocean. In February, a team of scientists from the British Antarctic Survey …
Read more on Groundfish survey reveals key insights into South Georgia’s marine life
20 March, 2025
ANTARCTICA: Scientists have discovered vibrant communities of ancient sponges and corals on the newly exposed seafloor following the calving of the giant A-84 iceberg. This offers new insights into how …
Read more on Thriving ecosystem discovered following iceberg calving
19 March, 2025
The oldest ice ever extracted from Antarctica is on its way to Europe, marking a major milestone in climate science. The ice cores, obtained through the Beyond EPICA – Oldest …
14 March, 2025
Here’s our sixth postcard from Rothera Research Station – Discovery Building progress! Power generation milestone Our Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generators are now operating 24/7 at Rothera Research Station, …
Read more on 14 March 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
13 March, 2025
The most detailed map yet of the landscape beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet has been assembled by a team of international scientists led from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Known as …
Read more on New map of landscape beneath Antarctica unveiled
7 March, 2025 Matthew Hughes
As Rothera Research Station continues its modernisation programme, Matt Hughes, Tower Operations Supervisor, shares his thoughts on the transition to our new Operations Tower, marking a significant milestone in Antarctic …
Read more on A new chapter for Rothera Research Station: inside the Operations Tower
5 March, 2025
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has installed and activated two solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage systems in Antarctica as part of our commitment to reach net zero by 2040. …
4 March, 2025
ANTARCTICA: The world’s largest and oldest iceberg A23a has finally come to a standstill as it appears to have run aground near the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia. The giant …
Read more on World’s largest iceberg grounds near sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia
21 February, 2025
Meet Olivier Hubert, the chef bringing culinary excellence to the bottom of the world at British Antarctic Survey’s research stations. From crafting 5,000-calorie meals for polar scientists to hosting Caribbean-themed …
Read more on From Fine Dining to Frozen Frontiers: Life as an Antarctic Chef
12 February, 2025
Here’s our fifth postcard from Rothera, where exciting changes are transforming our largest Antarctic research station this month! A new wind deflector The new Discovery Building is taking shape with …
Read more on 12 February 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
6 February, 2025
Scientists have discovered microplastics in the snow near some of Antarctica’s deep field camps, revealing how far-reaching plastic pollution has become. While not new, it’s the first time these tiny …
29 January, 2025
Applications to carry out small-scale research projects in the Antarctic in the 2025/26 season are invited from UK-based researchers through the Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (CASS). The scheme provides opportunities …
Read more on Opportunities for Antarctic research – apply now!
20 January, 2025
This Blue Monday (20 January), escape the ordinary and apply for the job of a lifetime in Antarctica. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for people to work at its …
Read more on Seriously remote working – applications open for jobs in Antarctica
17 January, 2025
Congratulations to British Antarctic Survey (BAS) staff who have been awarded a Polar Medal in the 2025 New Year’s Honours List for their contributions to improving our understanding of Antarctica, …
15 January, 2025
Welcome to our fourth Postcard from Rothera Research Station, giving you an update on the latest progress as we modernise our largest station in Antarctica. Modernisation progress The season is …
Read more on 15 January 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
9 January, 2025
The fourth Antarctic campaign of the Beyond EPICA-Oldest Ice project has achieved a historic milestone this week, by successfully drilling a 2800-metre-long ice core, consisting of ice from the Antarctic …
Read more on Historic drilling project finds ice over 1.2 million years old
3 January, 2025
Rod Arnold, Head of the Air Unit at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list for services to Polar Science and …
Read more on New Year Honour for British Antarctic Survey’s Head of Air Unit
13 December, 2024
ANTARCTICA: The world’s largest and oldest iceberg A23a is on the move. After decades of being grounded on the seafloor and more recently spinning on the spot, the mega-iceberg has …
12 December, 2024
Over 30 researchers from international institutes are working on ice core drilling campaigns in Antarctica to probe the ice sheet’s behaviour, carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean, and the Earth’s …
Read more on Antarctic drilling missions seek to understand climate and ice dynamics
9 December, 2024 Madeline De Marchis
Poo isn’t usually what first comes to mind when thinking of Antarctica, we tend to imagine the frozen landscape, vast expanses of white, ice sheets, and penguins. Yet, poo is …
Read more on 7 things you didn’t know about poo in Antarctica
9 December, 2024
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) staff working on the frozen continent are preparing to celebrate the festive season in style. Nearly 300 researchers, engineers, crew and support staff, located across five …
Read more on Spare a thought for those spending Christmas in Antarctica
6 December, 2024
Welcome to our third Postcard from Rothera Research Station, giving you an update on the latest progress as we modernise our largest station in Antarctica. Summer season in full swing …
Read more on 6 December 2024: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
3 December, 2024
A new species of tusk shell, a burrowing marine mollusc, has been discovered in deep, North Atlantic waters by scientists from British Antarctic Survey and the Senckenberg Society for Nature …
Read more on New deep-sea mollusc species co-habits with anemone
26 November, 2024
A project looking at how clouds affect climate change in Antarctica starts its second year of field research this month. The Southern Ocean Clouds (SOC) project, which is part of …
Read more on Cloud scientists take to the skies to solve climate uncertainty
20 November, 2024
New research shows that increased levels of plastic pollution in the Southern Ocean could reduce the ability of Antarctic krill, a tiny shrimp-like crustacean, to help take CO2 from the atmosphere. The …
Read more on Plastic reduces how krill remove carbon into deep ocean
9 November, 2024
Welcome to our second Postcard from Rothera Research Station, giving you an update on progress as we modernise our largest station in Antarctica. Start of Summer The recent arrival …
Read more on 9 November 2024: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
4 November, 2024
A new season of construction is underway in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Specialist teams are arriving at Rothera, the UK’s largest research station and gateway for international …
Read more on New construction season drives Antarctic modernisation forward
25 October, 2024
British Antarctic Survey has won the Gold Award at the National Building and Construction Awards 2024 for ‘The Project of the Year (£10 million to £25 million)’. Oliver Darke, Director …
Read more on BAS wins national award for runway resurfacing project
24 October, 2024
The Antarctic field season is now underway, marked by the arrival of the first aircraft at Rothera Research Station. And with a new season brings a new roster of innovative …
7 October, 2024
*It’s not too late to sign up to Ticket to Antarctica. Your name can join RRS Sir David Attenborough in the Falkland Islands* Do you dream of visiting Antarctica? Well, …
Read more on Get your Ticket to Antarctica! Your name will go on a journey to the frozen wilderness
20 September, 2024
New science briefing summarises results of the ambitious international collaboration to study Antarctica’s most worrying glacier Cambridge: A vast area of the Antarctic Ice Sheet continues to retreat as a …
13 September, 2024
Antarctica’s rapidly receding sea ice could have a negative impact on the food supply of seabirds that breed hundreds of miles away from the continent. New research led by the …
Read more on Antarctica’s sea ice could impact seabirds’ food supply
12 September, 2024
Your name will go on a journey to the frozen wilderness! New project seeks to inspire, educate and entertain the public about Antarctica. Do you dream of visiting Antarctica? Well, …
2 August, 2024
An international research team deployed the uncrewed submersible ‘Ran’ underneath 350 m thick ice. They got back the very first detailed maps covering extensive areas of the underside of a …
Read more on Mysterious patterns revealed on ice shelf bottom
23 July, 2024
Seabirds are among the most threatened creatures globally, often due to incidental mortality (bycatch) in fisheries. Several hundreds of thousands of seabirds are thought to be killed worldwide each year …
22 July, 2024 Eliot Perez
For some people, working in Antarctica is a lifelong dream. For others, like Eliot Perez, Assistant Project Manager for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme, that dream became a reality nine …
Read more on Eliot’s reflections on working at Rothera Research Station
17 July, 2024
Scientists have for the first time taken in-situ ocean measurements during the collapse of a giant iceberg in the sub-Antarctic. These new observations reveal how ocean ecosystems may be affected …
Read more on Mega-iceberg melt affects important marine ecosystem
10 July, 2024
Construction teams have completed significant stages of the British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme and joined the over-wintering staff for the first time as the 2023/24 summer season ended. The improvements, led by BAM and technical advisors Ramboll will transform future science and operations at Rothera, the UK’s largest polar research station in Antarctica.
Read more on Modernisation milestones achieved in Antarctica
4 July, 2024
For the first time, researchers, including from British Antarctic Survey, have combined unique geological samples with sophisticated modelling to provide surprising insights into when and where today’s East and West …
25 June, 2024
Warm water that seeps underneath can melt ice in way not yet included in models A new and worrying way that large ice sheets can melt has been characterised by …
Read more on New tipping point discovered beneath the Antarctic ice sheet
21 June, 2024
Today (21 June) marks the longest night in Antarctica and a very special Midwinter’s Day with 47 people or ‘winterers’ living and working at British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) three winter …
21 May, 2024
New iceberg, the size of the Isle of Wight, is expected to be called A-83 ANTARCTICA – 21 May. A large iceberg (380 km²), about the size of the Isle …
Read more on Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica calves new iceberg
20 May, 2024
Scientists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have found that the record-low levels of sea ice around Antarctica in 2023 were extremely unlikely to happen without the influence of climate …
Read more on Record low Antarctic sea ice ‘extremely unlikely’ without climate change
16 May, 2024
The 2023/4 Antarctic field season has wound up and the last of the summer teams are aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough and heading for home. This season not only …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey’s Antarctic field season wraps up
25 April, 2024
Record low levels of Antarctic sea-ice in late 2023 resulted in breeding failures in a fifth of the continent’s emperor penguin colonies, according to a new study from British Antarctic …
Read more on Emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica suffer as sea-ice diminishes
19 April, 2024 Emma Pearce
Understanding what is going on inside an ice shelf is important for many reasons. But mostly, it allows us to better understand their contribution to sea level rise, and to …
Read more on BLOG: Looking into the world’s most studied ice shelf
16 April, 2024
Scientists are a step closer to being able to predict when large icebergs will calve in Antarctica. A team of glaciologists will present their new results at the European Geoscience …
Read more on Scientists one step closer to predicting iceberg calving
19 March, 2024
Chefs, plumbers and electricians wanted to work in Antarctica. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for new recruits to work at its research stations in Antarctica. Skilled carpenters, chefs, electricians, …
Read more on Are these the COOLEST jobs in the world? Probably.
11 March, 2024
SOUTH GEORGIA. Update, March 2024 – Penguins on the sub-Antarctic Islands of South Georgia have tested positive for Avian flu. This is the first time the virus has been detected …
Read more on Penguins test positive for Avian Flu on South Georgia
4 March, 2024
As part of the British Antarctic Survey’s Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP), the runway at Rothera research station has successfully been resurfaced by construction company BAM and the design completed by Ramboll. The station is a major hub for international science in Antarctica, and this significant achievement is a pivotal moment for BAS and the UK’s future polar research capabilities.
Read more on Antarctic Runway is upgraded to support UK hub for polar science
27 February, 2024
A new study, involving researchers from British Antarctic Survey, has found that significant thinning and retreat of the vast Thwaites Glacier began in the 1940s. Accelerating ice loss has been …
Read more on Significant glacial retreat in West Antarctica began in 1940s
23 February, 2024
The final field season of the ambitious, international effort to understand Antarctica’s giant Thwaites Glacier is complete. Teams of scientists and support staff with the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) …
21 February, 2024
Engineers Tania Alvarez and Jose Valverde have celebrated their engagement at one of the world’s southmost locations, British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic peninsula.
Read more on Love on Ice: Engineers’ Antarctic Engagement Sparks Warmth
14 February, 2024
Communities of microorganisms at the bottom of polar lakes evolved independently from other regions, influenced by the particular geological, biological and climate history of their regions. The unique character of …
Read more on DNA reveals unique microorganisms evolved at poles
3 February, 2024
A team have arrived at Rothera Research Station, ready to start testing the new Windracers ULTRA autonomous drone in Antarctica. If successful, the new drone platform could represent a major …
Read more on Pilotless plane test crew arrives in Antarctica
30 January, 2024
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will build a new unique science facility at its UK Cambridge headquarters, enabling scientists to understand how organisms that live in cold polar environments evolved …
Read more on New science facility to unveil mysteries of animal life in Antarctica
24 January, 2024
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey have discovered four previously unknown emperor penguin breeding sites. Changing sea ice conditions along Antarctica’s coastline have forced several emperor colonies to move in search …
Read more on Four new emperor penguin colonies found by satellite
23 January, 2024
A team of scientists are embarking on an ambitious 30-day scientific expedition on board RRS Sir David Attenborough to investigate how carbon dioxide moves and transforms in the Southern Ocean. …
Read more on New research mission on board polar ship set to unlock Southern Ocean’s carbon secrets
20 January, 2024
Researchers from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have carried out aerial surveys of the remote volcanic Zavodovski Island in the sub-Antarctic to count the largest penguin colony in the world. …
Read more on Scientists count penguins on remote sub-Antarctic island
16 January, 2024
Scientists at British Antarctic Survey are using satellite images to track the colossal iceberg A23a. This new animation shows the recent trajectory of the A23a iceberg as it moves north …
Read more on New animation shows track of giant A23a iceberg
9 January, 2024
Congratulations to British Antarctic Survey (BAS) staff who have been awarded a Polar Medal in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List for their contributions to improving our understanding of Antarctica …
8 January, 2024
Halley Research Station, Antarctica – A team of scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is gearing up for an expedition to the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica to unravel …
Read more on Team embarks on mission to investigate iceberg calving
22 December, 2023
Scientists, including from British Antarctic Survey, have used octopus DNA to discover that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) likely collapsed during the Last Interglacial period around 120,000 years ago …
21 December, 2023
Colleagues at British Antarctic Survey’s five research stations and on board the RRS Sir David Attenborough are currently preparing for a unique festive season in Antarctica, with nearly 24 hours …
6 December, 2023
The Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition celebrates the power of photography in capturing scientific phenomena happening all around us, and the role great images play in making science accessible to …
4 December, 2023
ANTARCTICA: Scientists aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough collected samples of seawater around the A23a mega iceberg, the largest iceberg in the world. New video footage shows the enormous iceberg, …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough samples A23a iceberg during climate science mission
27 November, 2023
Construction has begun in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) with specialists arriving at Rothera Research Station to progress several projects to secure the future of polar operations and …
23 November, 2023
Researchers are using a new AI tool to detect icebergs in the Southern Ocean. This is the first step towards scientists being able to track the complete life cycle of …
20 November, 2023
Last month, October 2023, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was confirmed on Bird Island, South Georgia in the brown skua populations. Since then, a number of other cases of symptomatic …
Read more on Additional cases of Avian Flu confirmed on South Georgia
20 November, 2023
A team of international researchers set sail on the RRS Sir David Attenborough today (20 November) to answer some of the big questions about how Antarctic ecosystems and sea ice …
17 November, 2023
This November British Antarctic Survey joins with the polar community to celebrate the contribution of LGBTQIA+ people in polar research and operations to mark Polar Pride Day and LGBTQIA STEM …
15 November, 2023
Since Antarctica has no indigenous human populations to give names to landmarks, the UK Antarctic Place-names Committee provides advice on place-naming in the British Antarctic Territory, adhering to international principles …
8 November, 2023
A research mission to Antarctica will study the effects of global warming on the West Antarctic ice sheet. The mission is part of an international research programme, which includes researchers …
Read more on Team heads for Antarctica to study global warming effects
31 October, 2023
Polar science could reach new heights as researchers prepare to test the new Windracers ULTRA autonomous drone in Antarctica this season. A new, state-of-the-art autonomous drone capable of carrying a …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey unveils pilotless plane for testing in Antarctica
23 October, 2023
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet will continue to increase its rate of melting over the rest of the century, no matter how much we reduce fossil fuel use, according to …
Read more on Increased West Antarctic Ice Sheet melting ‘unavoidable’
18 October, 2023
More than 200 scientists, including several from British Antarctic Survey (BAS), from 19 countries have released the first comprehensive assessment of trends in Southern Ocean ecosystems, in a report written …
17 October, 2023
Congratulations to our Estates and Facilities Team who have won the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management’s (IFWM) Impact Awards 2023 under the “Team of the Year: Public Sector” category. …
Read more on Estates and Facilities Team win prestigious award
26 September, 2023
New measurements of how the boundary between onshore glacier and floating ice shelf glides back-and- forth could help predict melting The grounding line of the southern Ronne Ice Shelf in …
Read more on Antarctica’s glacial border moves for miles with the tide
25 September, 2023
British Antarctic Survey scientists are called up for their expertise this season, in a series of documentaries on radio and television. Secrets of our Universe with Tim Peake, Channel 5 …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey on Radio & TV this Autumn
21 September, 2023
The melting of the supergiant iceberg A-68 had a huge impact on the ocean around South Georgia, in sub-Antarctica, and significantly changed the Southern Ocean’s temperature and saltiness, with potentially …
Read more on Supergiant iceberg makes surrounding ocean surface colder and less salty
13 September, 2023
ANTARCTICA – Following the calving of the A-81 iceberg at the end of January 2023, the Brunt Ice Shelf is moving faster than before. It is currently moving approximately 4 …
Read more on Brunt Ice Shelf speeds up after calving of giant iceberg
30 August, 2023 Emily Newton
Dr Robbie Mallett is a sea ice scientist, currently over-wintering at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica as part of an eight-month research campaign for the NERC DEFIANT project. Robbie explains the …
Read more on Feeling the heat in Antarctica: the urgency of sea ice research
24 August, 2023
Emperor penguin colonies experienced unprecedented breeding failure in a region of Antarctica where there was total sea ice loss in 2022. The discovery supports predictions that over 90% of emperor …
Read more on Loss of sea ice causes catastrophic breeding failure for emperor penguins
18 August, 2023
Today, hundreds of international scientists are sounding a clarion call for urgent expansion of Southern Ocean research in the emerging climate crisis. 300 scientists from 25 nations have been meeting …
11 August, 2023 Emily Rowlands
Where is all the ocean plastic? Eight million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year but only a small fraction of this (maybe even as low as 1%!) can …
Read more on A Southern Ocean plastic puzzle – where is all the ocean plastic?
8 August, 2023
Extreme events in Antarctica such as ocean heatwaves and ice loss will almost certainly become more common and more severe, researchers say. With drastic action now needed to limit global …
Read more on New Antarctic extremes ‘virtually certain’ as world warms
3 August, 2023
Winter sea ice in the Antarctic is at a historic low, and scientists are working to understand why an area of ice the size of Greenland is missing. Scientists from …
6 July, 2023 Thomas Boagey
British Antarctic Survey aims to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040 and decarbonise our polar research stations by 2030. A key part of this project is to end the reliance on conventional …
30 June, 2023
An international team of researchers has sequenced the genomes of 24 Antarctic fish species to investigate how they survive the extreme cold. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, …
27 June, 2023
Researchers have discovered a flesh-eating fish is in major decline – by looking at the stomach content of some of the world’s largest bird, albatrosses. The Patagonian Lamprey, Geotria macrostoma, …
Read more on Bird diet sampling helps uncover the lives of living fossils
21 June, 2023
Today (21 June) marks the longest night in Antarctica and around 40 people will be celebrating Midwinter in British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) three winter stations: Rothera Research Station on the …
12 June, 2023
Antarctic Bottom Water is the coldest, densest water mass on the planet and plays a pivotal role in regulating the ocean’s ability to store heat and capture carbon. In a …
Read more on Deep ocean waters in Antarctica are shrinking and warming
8 June, 2023
Dramatic changes in the Polar Regions are reflected in a new edition map of Antarctica and the Arctic produced by cartographers at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). The flagship printed …
31 May, 2023
The ground beneath Antarctica’s most vulnerable glacier has been mapped for the first time, helping scientists to better understand how it is being affected by climate change. Analysis of the …
Read more on Ground beneath Thwaites Glacier mapped for first time
19 May, 2023 Connie Pang
Connie Pang is a Senior Structural Engineer at Ramboll and travelled to Antarctica this year to work as the Site Supervisor for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme. Here she looks …
13 May, 2023
Scientists are tracking a group of young black-browed albatross, who have begun their first epic journeys across the Southern Ocean. In April 2023, 26 young black-browed albatross on Bird Island …
Read more on Scientists track the epic flight of fledged albatross
12 May, 2023
Modernising Antarctic Infrastructure for Future Generations of Polar Scientists Specialist construction teams are travelling home to the UK after five months of work in Antarctica to modernise British Antarctic Survey …
11 May, 2023
The 2022/23 Antarctic field season has ended, marking the conclusion of another successful year of scientific exploration in one of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. This field season, …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey completes Antarctic field season