12 October, 2018
New funding stream for sustainable observation and unique BAS British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientific capabilities
11 October, 2018
Technology pioneered in Antarctica could soon be providing much-needed data on the amount of ice in the glaciers of High Mountain Asia thanks to an ingenious helicopter-mounted, low-frequency radar developed …
11 October, 2018
Results from a 21-year study into the breeding success of gentoo penguins at a well-known tourist site in Antarctica, reveal a 25% reduction in breeding pairs and a decrease of …
Read more on Study of penguin colonies at Antarctic island shows decline
9 October, 2018 Kayleigh Jones
Kayleigh Jones, a seal biologist at British Antarctic Survey, travelled to the Falkland Islands to spend 6 weeks studying South American fur seals. Read on to find out about her …
8 October, 2018
The amount of plastic washing up onto the shores of remote South Atlantic islands is 10 times greater than it was a decade ago, according to new research published today …
Read more on Increase in plastics reaching remote South Atlantic Islands
13 September, 2018
The prestigious Challenger Medal for excellence in marine science has been awarded to British Antarctic Survey (BAS) oceanographer Professor Mike Meredith. Presented every two years by the Challenger Society – …
12 September, 2018
The British Antarctic Survey has been awarded National Capability funds for polar science which will strengthen UK national security, resilience, economic growth and societal benefit
29 August, 2018
UK scientists will join what could be the largest-scale Arctic research expedition ever planned when the German research ship, RV Polarstern, is deliberately lodged into sea ice to drift past …
Read more on BAS scientist joins research ship ‘drifting’ past North Pole
13 August, 2018
Melting of ice shelves in West Antarctica speeds up and slows down in response to changes in deep ocean temperature, and is far more variable than previously thought, according to …
Read more on Melt-rate of West Antarctic Ice Sheet highly sensitive to changes in ocean temperatures
8 August, 2018
Understanding of how Jupiter’s magnetic field interacts with its moons and with intense particle radiation.
Read more on Million fold increase in the power of waves near Jupiter’s moon Ganymede
17 July, 2018
The most comprehensive magnetic map of Antarctica ever produced is published this week (15 July 2018). The new map – which includes 3.5 million line-kilometres of magnetic anomaly data collected …
Read more on New magnetic anomaly map helps unveil Antarctica
2 July, 2018
Science meetings of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) take place over the next two weeks (starting 2 July 2018) at the Cambridge Headquarters of …
Read more on Science meetings on conservation of Southern Ocean
The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) has been operating as an international co-operative organisation for over 20 years, and has proved to be one of the most successful tools …
20 June, 2018
This study, led by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, suggests that sea-ice loss in different regions of the Arctic, and of different amounts, leads to different effects on surface …
Read more on FEATURED PAPER: Sea-ice loss impacts Northern Hemisphere
15 June, 2018
Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica is one of the fastest-flowing glaciers in Antarctica. Over the last eleven years, four major icebergs have broken off from its floating ice shelf. …
Read more on New maps show why glacier ice front suddenly shrank
5 June, 2018
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have, for the first time, tracked the lives of leopard seals as they migrate around Antarctica. The team followed these formidable predators as they …
Read more on New insight into an enigmatic Antarctic apex predator
30 May, 2018
Fungi in Antarctic soils release carbon that is more than a thousand years old, a team led by scientists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has found. This discovery sheds light on how carbon is released into the atmosphere as polar regions warm.
Read more on Fungi respire millennium-old carbon from Antarctic soil
24 May, 2018
Revealing Antarctica’s hidden world
Read more on Subglacial valleys and mountain ranges discovered near South Pole
17 May, 2018
The UK and large parts of northern Europe could become windier if global temperatures reach 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels, according to a new study. This has implications for wind energy …
Read more on European wind energy generation potential in a 1.5˚C world
14 May, 2018
The seas around the Antarctic Peninsula are biologically extremely rich, but are climatically sensitive, having experienced some of the fastest warming globally in recent decades. A special issue of the …
3 May, 2018
A new study involving scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) suggests for the first time that warm winds are creating large surface melting of ice shelves in Antarctica during the …
Read more on “Hairdryer winds” cause ice melt during Antarctic winter
30 April, 2018
Professor Mike Meredith wins prize
Read more on Prestigious international award for oceanographer
24 April, 2018 Victoria Warwick-Evans
Four people, two tents, a lot of smelly penguins and boil-in-the-bag army rations. That pretty much sums up life at Harmony Point, Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands during January and …
9 April, 2018
The first comprehensive study of snowfall across Antarctica provides vital information in the study of future sea-level rise. Presenting this week (Monday 9 April 2018) at the European Geosciences Union …
Read more on New study reveals increased snowfall in Antarctica over last two centuries
4 April, 2018
Seabirds may struggle to find food for their chicks as they are unable to shift their breeding seasons as the climate warms, a new study suggests. Rising sea temperatures in …
Read more on Warming oceans could put seabirds out of sync with prey
15 March, 2018 Zoe Roseby
Zoë Roseby is a member of the science team from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) currently aboard the RRS Discovery. Read on to discover what the team will be investigating in …
14 March, 2018
A new study concludes that a seafloor dwelling marine invertebrate is more resilient to environmental change than expected. The paper, led by researchers at British Antarctic Survey, is published today …
Read more on Brachiopods resilient to past environmental change
5 March, 2018 Kieran Love
Kieran Love tells us what it is like to be the Zoological Field Assistant at King Edward Point Research Station (KEP) on South Georgia. So, what does being a zoological …
2 March, 2018
Heavy sea ice conditions have thwarted a science mission from reaching the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica from which a large iceberg broke off in July 2017. A team …
Read more on Research mission to Larsen C Ice Shelf thwarted by sea ice
22 February, 2018 Rowan Whittle
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) palaeobiologist Dr Rowan Whittle is a member of the Larsen C Benthos research cruise onboard the RRS James Clark Ross. Rowan’s primary role is to assist …
19 February, 2018
On 30th January 1982, a record high temperature of +19.8°C was measured at Signy Research Station – a record for any station south of 60°S. In this paper, we examined …
13 February, 2018 Layla Batchellier
Find out what the South Georgia Right Whale Expedition team have been up to during their first few weeks sailing in the waters around South Georgia. Firstly, Susannah Calderan tells …
Read more on SCIENCE IN THE SEA: Studying Southern Right Whales
12 February, 2018
A team of scientists, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), heads to Antarctica this week (14 February) to investigate a mysterious marine ecosystem that’s been hidden beneath an Antarctic ice …
Read more on First expedition to newly exposed Antarctic ecosystem
11 February, 2018 Zoe Waring
To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11th February), Zoe Waring, the Marine Assistant at Rothera Research Station, has written a blog about her work at British …
Read more on Celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2018
7 February, 2018 Jennifer Jackson
Whale ecologist Dr Jennifer Jackson, who is leading the first expedition to ‘health-check’ southern right whales since whaling stopped in the 1970s, describes how she and the team prepared for …
25 January, 2018
A new study of tiny marine snails called sea butterflies shows the great lengths these animals go to repair damage caused by ocean acidification. The paper, led by researchers at …
Read more on Sea butterflies repair shell damage from ocean acidification
19 January, 2018
A new study from British Antarctic Survey shows how five common Antarctic marine invertebrates (animals without a backbone) use less energy to feed, grow and reproduce than their temperate and …
12 January, 2018
A new study from the British Antarctic Survey shows how lanternfish, small bioluminescent fish, are likely to respond to the warming of the Southern Ocean. Lanternfish are one of the …
Read more on Lanternfish reveal how ocean warming impacts the twilight zone
10 January, 2018
An international team of researchers, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), travels to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia this month (January) to carry out the first scientific whale survey …
Read more on Expedition to ‘health-check’ Southern Right Whales
5 January, 2018
Our congratulations go to Dr Phil Trathan who has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Southern Ocean science and conservation. Dr …
Read more on New Year Honours for British Antarctic Survey scientist
28 December, 2017 Ryan Scott
Following the glider deployments our next destination was Rothera, the UK’s biggest Antarctic research station on Adelaide Island. Good progress was made until we hit the sea ice – 120 …
Read more on SCIENCE IN THE SEA – Part 4: Sea ice and science
20 December, 2017 Ryan Scott
It was finally time to deploy the gliders and I couldn’t be more excited! Autonomous vehicles are regarded as the future of oceanography, and I feel extremely lucky to be …
18 December, 2017 Robert Mulvaney
This Antarctic season BAS scientist Dr Robert Mulvaney is taking part in the ongoing hunt for the oldest ice record Beyond Epica. Using a variety of different techniques, he and …
Read more on SCIENCE ON THE ICE – Part 2: Setting up camp at Little Dome C
15 December, 2017 Markus Frey
A new blog from the ISOL-ICE project team describes recent progress in the lab. Read the team’s earlier blog here. Holly Winton and Lisa Hauge have completed now with great success their …
15 December, 2017
A new study shows that Antarctic krill behave in a way that could accelerate the transport of atmospheric carbon to the deep ocean. Antarctic krill form some of the highest …
Read more on Krill behaviour takes carbon to the ocean depths
12 December, 2017 Ryan Scott
First thing I learn as I begin my trip aboard the RRS James Clark Ross is that, scientist on research cruises need to be able to adapt quickly! Within two …
11 December, 2017
A thinning of small areas of floating ice at Antarctica’s coast can accelerate the movement of ice grounded on rocks hundreds of kilometres away, a new study involving scientists from …
Read more on Tiny ice losses at Antarctica’s fringes can accelerate ice loss far away
4 December, 2017
Applications are invited for the Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (CASS) for Antarctic fieldwork in the 2018/19 field season. The closing date is 5th March 2018. CASS provides opportunities for UK-based …
Read more on Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme – Applications invited
29 November, 2017
An animation of the giant iceberg that calved off the Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica just over two months ago shows an unexpected break up. Satellite images revealed a …
29 November, 2017 Ryan Scott
After 6 days, 9505 miles and 7 mm of beard growth, the cruise has officially started! Thursday 16th November and finally the time had come for me start my journey …
Read more on SCIENCE IN THE SEA – Part 1: Journey to the JCR!
20 November, 2017
The populations of wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses have halved over the last 35 years on sub-antarctic Bird Island according to a new study published today (20 November) in the …
Read more on Albatrosses in decline from fishing and environmental change
20 November, 2017
A UK team of researchers has produced high-resolution maps of the bed beneath a major glacier in West Antarctica, which will help them predict future sea-level rise from this region. …
Read more on Maps reveal landscape beneath Antarctica’s weak underbelly
14 November, 2017
An international study involving British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists has shed light on how the larvae of Antarctic krill – small shrimp-like crustaceans – use sea ice to ensure their …
13 November, 2017
The Sichuan basin is one of the most densely populated regions of China. Along with insufficient arable land and economic underdevelopments, this region is particularly vulnerable to climate-related stresses. Improving …
13 November, 2017
An international team of scientists, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), has produced a new map showing how much heat from the Earth’s interior is reaching the base of the …
Read more on New Antarctic heat map reveals sub-ice hotspots
8 November, 2017
This week (10-11 November) leading scientists and experts from EU-funded research programmes engage with political leaders from the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic to examine the economic and social consequences …
Read more on BAS scientists at 2017 COP23 climate event in Bonn
27 October, 2017
The RRS Sir David Attenborough (SDA) just got another step closer to completion as the Hamburg Ship Model Basin (HSVA) investigated the aerodynamic performance of Britain’s new polar research vessel using a computer generated ‘virtual wind tunnel’
Read more on The RRS Sir David Attenborough in the virtual wind tunnel
25 October, 2017
Thousands of marks on the Antarctic seafloor, caused by icebergs which broke free from glaciers more than ten thousand years ago, show how part of the Antarctic Ice Sheet retreated …
Read more on ‘Scars’ left by icebergs record West Antarctic ice retreat
19 October, 2017 Holly Winton
A new blog from Polar Atmospheric Ice Chemist Dr Holly Winton, who is part of the ISOL-ice research project, explaining the process from fieldwork on the Polar Plateau to laboratory work …
Read more on SCIENCE IN THE LAB: From the Polar Plateau to Cambridge
9 October, 2017
A team of scientists, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), is planning an urgent mission to investigate a mysterious marine ecosystem that’s been hidden beneath an Antarctic ice shelf for …
Read more on Scientists to visit hidden Antarctic ecosystem after giant iceberg calving
5 October, 2017
Wind-driven incursions of warm, deep water forced the retreat of West Antarctic glaciers from the end of the last ice age until 7,500 years ago and since the 1940s. These …
Read more on FEATURED PAPER: Wind, warm water and ice-sheet loss
2 October, 2017
A new multidisciplinary study led by scientists at British Antarctic Study (BAS) stresses the need for an integrated approach to understand the effects of climate change on Antarctic marine ecosystems. …
Read more on New study calls for unified research to understand changing ecosystems
29 September, 2017
Rolls-Royce is marking a major milestone on the journey towards the completion of Britain’s new polar research vessel the RRS Sir David Attenborough being built by Merseyside shipyard Cammell Laird.
Read more on Milestone in construction of RRS Sir David Attenborough
22 September, 2017
For nearly 50 years, researchers have been stumped as to why sea shells from warm tropical waters are comparatively larger than their cold water relatives. New research, led by the …
Read more on Marine snails know how to budget their housing costs
22 September, 2017
Today the royal research ship RRS Discovery will depart Southampton for an ambitious science expedition to the ocean around South Georgia. This expedition will take place almost 100 years after …
Read more on Science cruise departs ahead of Discovery Investigations anniversary
19 September, 2017
An international agreement is now in place to give special protection to the area of ocean left exposed when one of the largest icebergs ever recorded broke free from the …
Read more on Special protection for area exposed by Larsen C iceberg
11 September, 2017
This week (Saturday 16 September), marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. It is one of the most successful …
Read more on World Ozone Day: 30th anniversary of Montreal Protocol
4 September, 2017
A new study of the marine invertebrates living in the seas around Antarctica reveals there will be more ‘losers’ than ‘winners’ over the next century as the Antarctic seafloor warms. …
Read more on More losers than winners for Southern Ocean marine life
31 August, 2017
A team of scientists has discovered that a 1°C rise in local sea temperature has massive impacts on an Antarctic marine community. These new results are published this week (31 …
Read more on Antarctic marine life may grow faster in a warming world
29 August, 2017
Temperature plays an important role in the distribution of ocean plankton communities and has the potential to cause major distribution shifts, as recently observed in the Arctic. A new study …
18 August, 2017
A major feat of engineering takes place this week (21 August) as the “stern section” of the new polar research ship for Britain, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, is transported …
17 August, 2017
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has selected Professor Mike Meredith from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) to be a coordinating lead author for a Special Report on the Ocean …
Read more on BAS Oceanographer selected for Special IPCC Report
2 August, 2017
The largest remaining ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula lost 10% of its area when an iceberg four times the size of London broke free earlier this month. Since …
Read more on Impact of giant Antarctic iceberg – update on Larsen-C
27 July, 2017 Zoe Waring
Zoe Waring, the Rothera Marine Assistant provides us with an account of the recent Ocean Sampling Day at Rothera. Since 2012, the Rothera Marine Assistant has been collecting samples for World …
Read more on SCIENCE IN THE SEA: Ocean sampling day at Rothera
21 July, 2017
The new Aurora Innovation Centre that will support cross-discipline research to tackle environmental challenges and increase the real-world benefit of polar research was officially opened today (Friday 21 July) by …
Read more on Science Minister opens new Aurora Innovation Centre
29 June, 2017
Ice-free areas in Antarctica could expand by close to 25 per cent by 2100 and drastically change the biodiversity of the continent, research published this week in Nature has shown. …
Read more on Climate change may cause expansion to ice-free areas across Antarctica
28 June, 2017
Researchers have captured unprecedented data about some of the coldest abyssal ocean waters on earth – known as Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) – during the first voyage of the yellow …
Read more on Boaty McBoatface returns home with unprecedented data
20 June, 2017
Researchers have provided new evidence that large sub-glacial lakes existed under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the last glacial period – around 20,000 years ago – a period when …
Read more on Team discovers sub-glacial lake from over 20,000 years ago
19 June, 2017
The levels of microplastic particles accumulating in the Antarctic are much worse than expected, a team of experts has warned. The continent is considered to be a pristine wilderness compared …
Read more on Plastic pollution in the Antarctic worse than expected
14 June, 2017
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is delighted to be participating in this year’s Bluedot music festival in Macclesfield 7-9 July. The event, which last year attracted over 20,000 visitors, is billed …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey at Bluedot Festival 2017
25 April, 2017
New research describes for the first time the role that warm, dry winds play in influencing the behaviour of Antarctic ice shelves. Presenting this week at a European conference scientists …
Read more on New insight into what weakens Antarctic ice shelves
25 April, 2017
The most comprehensive and high-resolution atlas of the seafloor of both Polar Regions is presented this week (Tuesday 25 April) at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly (EGU) in Vienna.
Read more on New atlas provides highest-resolution imagery of the Polar Regions seafloor
11 April, 2017
One of Antarctica’s biggest gentoo penguin colonies was repeatedly decimated by eruptions of the Deception Island volcano in recent millennia.
Read more on Penguin colony repeatedly decimated by volcanic eruptions
7 April, 2017
Observations were made of clouds over the Antarctic Peninsula during the summer of 2010 and 2011 using one the BAS Twin Otter aircraft fitted with a range of atmospheric instruments. …
7 April, 2017
The unmanned submersible Boaty McBoatface was deployed in the Antarctic for the first time.
28 March, 2017
An international study involving scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has debunked the popular view that Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are in a much better environmental shape than the …
23 March, 2017
It is thought that wind changes over the Southern Ocean may have been critical in driving changes in CO2 between cold ice-world and warm-world climates. Because of inconsistencies between the …
21 March, 2017 Katrin Linse
I recently spent four-and-a-bit weeks aboard the German blue water research ship RV Meteor along with Oli Hogg, my PhD student. We took part in the “Methane South Georgia” research …
Read more on Exploring South Georgia’s seafloor fauna with SQUID
17 March, 2017
A new study reveals the sub-antarctic island of South Georgia – famous for its wildlife – was covered by a massive ice cap during the last ice age. The results …
Read more on Ice cap once covered sub-antarctic island of South Georgia
9 March, 2017 Mark Belchier
In this blog Dr Mark Belchier from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) explains why a team of experts visits King Edward Point biennially to carry out a survey of the fish …
2 March, 2017
BAS Director features in photographic portraits of women in science
Read more on Raising Horizons: Portraits of women in science
1 March, 2017
A World Meteorological Organization (WMO) committee of experts announces this week (Wed 1 March) new records for the highest temperatures recorded in the Antarctic Region. The results are part of …
17 February, 2017
Local weather plays an important part in the retreat of the ice shelves in West Antarctica, according to new research published in the journal Nature Communications today (Friday 17 February). …
16 February, 2017
This year the extent of summer sea ice in the Antarctic is the lowest on record. The Antarctic sea ice minimum marks the day – typically towards end of February …
15 February, 2017
The longest and most comprehensive study to date of what penguins eat is published this month. The study, published in the journal Marine Biology, examines the diets of gentoo penguins …
8 February, 2017
A new study describing how shellfish create their shells in response to their environment is published today (Wednesday 8 February) in the journal Royal Society Open Science. The shells of …
7 February, 2017 Markus Frey
Ice core drilling is a large complex operation to firstly get the equipment out into the field, assemble it, drill intact columns of ice and then process the collected ice for analysis. Markus Frey explains.