Robust model-based indicators of regional differences in food-web structure in the Southern Ocean
1 August, 2021 by Simeon Hill
Efforts to model marine food-webs are generally undertaken by small teams working separately on specific regions (Our publications
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Cephalopod fauna of the Pacific Southern Ocean using Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) as biological samplers and fisheries bycatch specimens
1 August, 2021
Cephalopods are an important component of Southern Ocean food webs but studies analysing their habitat and trophic ecology are scarce. Here, we use the Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni as a…
Implementation and impacts of surface and blowing snow sources of Arctic bromine activation within WRF-Chem 4.1.1
1 August, 2021 by Markus Frey
Elevated concentrations of atmospheric bromine are known to cause ozone depletion in the Arctic, which is most frequently observed during springtime. We implement a detailed description of bromine and chlorine…
Variability in tissue-specific trophic discrimination factors (∆13C and ∆15N) between Antarctic krill Euphausia superba and free-ranging Pygoscelis penguins
1 August, 2021
For top consumers in marine environments, trophic discrimination factors (∆13C and ∆15N) between food and consumers’ tissues are expected to be similar among related species. However, few studies conducted in…
Experimental determination of reflectance spectra of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in the Scotia Sea
1 August, 2021 by Anna Belcher, Geraint Tarling, Gabriele Stowasser, Louise Ireland, Peter Fretwell, Sophie Fielding
Antarctic krill are the dominant metazoan in the Southern Ocean in terms of biomass; however, their wide and patchy distribution means that estimates of their biomass are still uncertain. Most…
Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland Ice Sheet to the ocean using gliders
1 August, 2021 by Jacob Opher, Alexander Brearley, Michael Meredith
The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is experiencing significant mass loss and freshwater discharge at glacier fronts. The freshwater input from Greenland will impact the physical properties of adjacent coastal seas,…Read more on Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland Ice Sheet to the ocean using gliders
Radio-echo sounding and waveform modeling reveal abundant marine ice in former rifts and basal crevasses within Crary Ice Rise, Antarctica
1 August, 2021 by Carlos Martin Garcia
Crary Ice Rise formed after the Ross Ice Shelf re-grounded ~1 kyr BP. We present new ice-penetrating radar data from two systems operating at center frequencies of 7 and 750…Eco-interactions of engineered nanomaterials in the marine environment: Towards an eco-design framework
1 August, 2021 by Elisa Bergami
Marine nano-ecotoxicology has emerged with the purpose to assess the environmental risks associated with engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) among contaminants of emerging concerns entering the marine environment. ENMs’ massive production and…Carbon isotopic characterisation and oxidation of UK landfill methane emissions by atmospheric measurements
1 August, 2021 by James France
Biological oxidation of methane in landfill cover material can be calculated from the carbon isotopic signature (δ13CCH4) of emitted CH4. Enhanced microbial consumption of methane in the aerobic portion of…
Evidence for a highly dynamic West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the Pliocene
28 July, 2021 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
Major ice loss in the Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is hypothesized to have triggered ice sheet collapses during past warm periods such as those…Read more on Evidence for a highly dynamic West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the Pliocene
Cetaceans sightings during research cruises in three remote Atlantic British Overseas Territories
28 July, 2021 by Simon Morley
Marine mammal sightings were recorded during research cruises to three remote, mid-ocean British Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean. In March to April 2018 and 2019, the…A citizen science trial to assess perception of wild penguin welfare
27 July, 2021 by Philip Trathan
Wild penguins are facing increased threats to their populations and their welfare as a consequence of human activities. Understanding the perception of animal welfare is essential to identify ethical concerns…Read more on A citizen science trial to assess perception of wild penguin welfare
Ethane measurement by Picarro CRDS G2201-i in laboratory and field conditions: potential and limitations
27 July, 2021 by James France
Atmospheric ethane can be used as a tracer to distinguish methane sources, both at the local and global scale. Currently, ethane can be measured in the field using flasks or…Downhole distributed acoustic seismic profiling at Skytrain Ice Rise, West Antarctica
23 July, 2021 by Alex Brisbourne, Andy Smith, Sofia-Katerina Kufner
Antarctic ice sheet history is imprinted in the structure and fabric of the ice column. At ice rises, the signature of ice flow history is preserved due to the low…Read more on Downhole distributed acoustic seismic profiling at Skytrain Ice Rise, West Antarctica
Bridging observations, theory and numerical simulation of the ocean using machine learning
22 July, 2021 by Dani Jones
Progress within physical oceanography has been concurrent with the increasing sophistication of tools available for its study. The incorporation of machine learning (ML) techniques offers exciting possibilities for advancing the…Climate-driven phenological changes in the Russian Arctic derived from MODIS LAI time series 2000-2019
22 July, 2021 by Gareth Marshall
Arctic surface temperature has increased at approximately twice the global rate over the past few decades and is also projected to warm most in the 21st century. However, the mechanism…
Data‐driven basis functions for SuperDARN ionospheric plasma flow characterisation and prediction
21 July, 2021 by Gareth Chisham, Mervyn Freeman, Rob Shore
The archive of plasma velocity measurements from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) provides a rich dataset for investigation of magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling. However, systematic gaps in this archive exist…Investigating the uptake and fate of poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) in sea ice using an experimental sea ice chamber
20 July, 2021 by James France
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are contaminants of emerging Arctic concern and are present in the marine environments of the polar regions. Their input to and fate within the marine…
Mytilus trossulus introgression and consequences for shell traits in longline cultivated mussels
19 July, 2021 by Luca Telesca
Mussels belonging to the Mytilus species complex (M. edulis, ME; M. galloprovincialis, MG; and M. trossulus, MT) often occur in sympatry, facilitating introgressive hybridisation. This may be further promoted by…Movements and diving behaviour of white-chinned petrels: Diurnal variation and implications for bycatch mitigation
17 July, 2021 by Caitlin Frankish, Richard Phillips
1. Many seabirds dive to forage, and the ability to use this hunting technique varies according to such factors as morphology, physiology, prey availability, and ambient light levels. Proficient divers…
Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) for natural microseismicity studies: A case study from Antarctica
16 July, 2021 by Alex Brisbourne, Andy Smith, Sofia-Katerina Kufner
Icequakes, microseismic earthquakes at glaciers, offer insights into the dynamics of ice sheets. For the first time in the Antarctic, we explore the use of fiber optic cables as Distributed…
Marked seasonal changes in the microbial production, community composition and biogeochemistry of glacial snowpack ecosystems in the maritime Antarctic
15 July, 2021 by Peter Convey
We describe seasonal changes in the biogeochemistry, microbial community and ecosystem production of two glacial snowpacks in the maritime Antarctic during a cold summer. Frequent snowfall and low, intermittent melt…
Isotopic signatures of major methane sources in the coal seam gas fields and adjacent agricultural districts, Queensland, Australia
14 July, 2021 by James France
In regions where there are multiple sources of methane (CH4) in close proximity, it can be difficult to apportion the CH4 measured in the atmosphere to the appropriate sources. In…Movement patterns and activity levels are shaped by the neonatal environment in Antarctic fur seal pups
12 July, 2021 by Cameron Fox-Clarke, Camille Toscani, Claire Stainfield, Jaume Forcada
Tracking studies of juveniles are rare compared to those of adults, and consequently little is known about the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on activity during this critical life…
Revealing the source of Jupiter’s x-ray auroral flares
9 July, 2021 by Emma Woodfield
Jupiter’s rapidly rotating, strong magnetic field provides a natural laboratory that is key to understanding the dynamics of high-energy plasmas. Spectacular auroral x-ray flares are diagnostic of the most energetic…Read more on Revealing the source of Jupiter’s x-ray auroral flares
The impact of sudden commencements on ground magnetic field variability: Immediate and delayed consequences
8 July, 2021 by Mervyn Freeman
We examine how Sudden Commencements (SCs) and Storm Sudden Commencements (SSCs) influence the occurrence of high rates of change of the magnetic field (R) as a function of geomagnetic latitude.…
DNA metabarcoding to assess the diversity of airborne fungi present over Keller Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica
1 July, 2021 by Peter Convey
We assessed fungal diversity present in air samples obtained from King George Island, Antarctica, using DNA metabarcoding through high-throughput sequencing. We detected 186 fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) dominated by…Crevasse and rift detection in Antarctica from TerraSAR-X satellite imagery
1 July, 2021 by Oliver Marsh
Surface crevasses covered by snow bridges can be mapped remotely on ice sheets and glaciers using active microwave synthetic aperture radar. They are highlighted against the surrounding snow due to…Read more on Crevasse and rift detection in Antarctica from TerraSAR-X satellite imagery
On the settling depth of meltwater escaping from beneath Antarctic ice shelves
1 July, 2021 by Pierre Dutrieux
Antarctic glacial meltwater is thought to play an important role in determining large-scale Southern Ocean climate trends, yet recent modeling efforts have proceeded without a good understanding of how its…Read more on On the settling depth of meltwater escaping from beneath Antarctic ice shelves
Timing, pace and controls on ice sheet retreat: An introduction to the BRITICE‐CHRONO transect reconstructions of the British–Irish Ice Sheet
1 July, 2021 by Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
Motivated to help improve the robustness of predictions of sea level rise, the BRITICE-CHRONO project advanced knowledge of the former British–Irish Ice Sheet, from 31 to 15 ka, so that…No support for carbon storage of > 1,000 GtC in northern peatlands.
1 July, 2021 by Thomas Bauska
Northern peatlands store large amounts of carbon: 500 ± 100 GtC, according to a consolidated estimate from a diversity of methods1,2,3,4,5,6. However, Nichols and Peteet7 presented an estimate of 1,055 GtC, exceeding previous estimates…Read more on No support for carbon storage of > 1,000 GtC in northern peatlands.
Shear, Stability and Mixing within the Ice-Shelf-Ocean Boundary Current
1 July, 2021 by Adrian Jenkins
When the inclined base of an ice shelf melts into the ocean, it induces both a statically stable stratification and a buoyancy-forced, sheared flow along the interface. Understanding how those…Read more on Shear, Stability and Mixing within the Ice-Shelf-Ocean Boundary Current
Pelagic and benthic ecosystems drive differences in population and individual specializations in marine predators
1 July, 2021 by Kayleigh Jones
Individual specialization, which describes whether populations are comprised of dietary generalists or specialists, has profound ecological and evolutionary implications. However, few studies have quantified individual specialization within and between sympatric…
On the use of satellite observations to fill gaps in the Halley station total ozone record
30 June, 2021 by Jonathan Shanklin, Joshua Eveson, Steve Colwell
Measurements by the Dobson ozone spectrophotometer at the British Antarctic Survey's (BAS) Halley research station form a record of Antarctic total column ozone that dates back to 1956. Due to…Productivity and change in fish and squid in the Southern Ocean
25 June, 2021 by Tracey Dornan, Claire Waluda, Ryan Saunders, Tracey Dornan, Tracey Dornan
Southern Ocean ecosystems are globally important and vulnerable to global drivers of change, yet they remain challenging to study. Fish and squid make up a significant portion of the biomass…Read more on Productivity and change in fish and squid in the Southern Ocean
St Helena marine water quality: Background conditions and development of assessment levels for coastal pollutants
25 June, 2021 by Simon Morley
St Helena is an isolated oceanic island located in the tropical South Atlantic, and knowledge of broadscale oceanography and productivity in its surrounding waters is limited. This study used model…
Local drivers of change in Southern Ocean ecosystems: Human activities and policy implications
24 June, 2021 by Claire Waluda, David Barnes, Huw Griffiths, Jennifer Jackson, Kevin Hughes, Simon Morley, Susie Grant
Local drivers are human activities or processes that occur in specific locations, and cause physical or ecological change at the local or regional scale. Here, we consider marine and land-derived…
Southern right whale vocalizations on foraging grounds in South Georgia
23 June, 2021 by Danielle Buss, Jennifer Jackson
Southern right whale vocalizations were recorded concurrently with visual observations off the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia, and the characteristics of these calls were described. Calls were also compared to…Read more on Southern right whale vocalizations on foraging grounds in South Georgia
A veil of ignorance can promote fairness in a mammal society
23 June, 2021
Rawls argued that fairness in human societies can be achieved if decisions about the distribution of societal rewards are made from behind a veil of ignorance, which obscures the personal…Read more on A veil of ignorance can promote fairness in a mammal society
Recent progress on combining geomorphological and geochronological data with ice sheet modelling, demonstrated using the last British–Irish Ice Sheet
21 June, 2021 by Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
Palaeo-ice sheets are important analogues for understanding contemporary ice sheets, offering a record of ice sheet behaviour that spans millennia. There are two main approaches to reconstructing palaeo-ice sheets. Empirical…A decade of incorporating social sciences in the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research project (IMBeR): Much done, much to do?
21 June, 2021 by Eugene Murphy, Nadine Johnston, Rachel Cavanagh
Successful management and mitigation of marine challenges depends on cooperation and knowledge sharing which often occurs across culturally diverse geographic regions. Global ocean science collaboration is therefore essential for developing…First insight of meso- and bentho-pelagic fish dynamics around remote seamounts in the South Atlantic Ocean
17 June, 2021 by Emma Young, Martin Collins
Seamounts have long been recognised as hotspots for pelagic productivity and diversity in the world’s open ocean habitats. Recent studies have suggested that productivity may vary greatly between different seamounts,…
Matrix scaling and tipping points
16 June, 2021 by Anje-Margriet Neutel, Michael Thorne
To assess which ecosystems are most vulnerable it is necessary to compare the resilience of complex interaction networks in a meaningful way. A fundamental problem for the comparative analysis of…Remote sensing phenology of Antarctic green and red snow algae using WorldView satellites.
16 June, 2021 by Lloyd Peck, Peter Convey, Peter Fretwell
Snow algae are an important group of terrestrial photosynthetic organisms in Antarctica, where they mostly grow in low lying coastal snow fields. Reliable observations of Antarctic snow algae are difficult…
Seasonal sea ice persists through the Holocene Thermal Maximum at 80°N
15 June, 2021 by Kelly Hogan
The cryospheric response to climatic warming responsible for recent Arctic sea ice decline can be elucidated using marine geological archives which offer an important long-term perspective. The Holocene Thermal Maximum,…Read more on Seasonal sea ice persists through the Holocene Thermal Maximum at 80°N
Global data gaps in our knowledge of the terrestrial cryosphere
14 June, 2021 by Hamish Pritchard
The IPCC Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate identified major gaps in our knowledge of snow and glacier ice in the terrestrial cryosphere. These gaps are…Read more on Global data gaps in our knowledge of the terrestrial cryosphere
Archaeal intact polar lipids in polar waters: a comparison between the Amundsen and Scotia seas
11 June, 2021 by Claire Allen, Elaine Mawbey, Povl Abrahamsen, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith, Victoria Peck
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is one of the largest potential sources of future sea-level rise, with glaciers draining the WAIS thinning at an accelerating rate over the past…
Comparing glacial‐geological evidence and model simulations of ice sheet change since the last glacial period in the Amundsen Sea sector of Antarctica
11 June, 2021 by Joanne Johnson, Stephen Roberts
Since the Last Glacial Maximum ∼20,000 years ago, the Antarctic Ice Sheet has undergone extensive changes, resulting in a much smaller present‐day configuration. Improving our understanding of basic physical processes…
Statistical optimisation and kinetic studies of molybdenum reduction using a psychrotolerant marine bacteria isolated from Antarctica
11 June, 2021 by Peter Convey
The extensive industrial use of the heavy metal molybdenum (Mo) has led to an emerging global pollution with its traces that can even be found in Antarctica. In response, a…
Remote but not isolated – microplastics and mesoplastics present in the sub-surface waters of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago
11 June, 2021 by Clara Manno, Kirstie Jones-Williams, Victoria Peck
As the remote Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) becomes increasingly connected to the rest of the world, there is an impetus to monitor the possible impact of this connectivity. The potential…
Ice-shelf retreat drives recent Pine Island Glacier speedup
11 June, 2021 by Mark Barham, Pierre Dutrieux
Speedup of Pine Island Glacier over the past several decades has made it Antarctica’s largest contributor to sea-level rise. The past speedup is largely due to grounding-line retreat in response…Read more on Ice-shelf retreat drives recent Pine Island Glacier speedup
The largest moss carpet transplant in Antarctica and its bryosphere cryptic biodiversity
11 June, 2021 by Peter Convey
As part of the reconstruction of the Brazilian Antarctic Station on King George Island, three areas of moss carpet were transplanted to minimize the impact of the new facilities on…
Polar stratospheric clouds satellite observations, processes, and role in ozone depletion
10 June, 2021 by Andrew Orr
Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) play important roles in stratospheric ozone depletion during winter and spring at high latitudes (e.g., the Antarctic ozone hole). PSC particles provide sites for heterogeneous reactions…
Unusual quasi 10‐day planetary wave activity and the ionospheric response during the 2019 Southern Hemisphere sudden stratospheric warming
10 June, 2021 by Tracy Moffat-Griffin
An unusual sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event occurred in the Southern Hemisphere in September 2019. Ground-based and satellite observations show the presence of transient eastward- and westward-propagating quasi-10 day planetary…
Winds and tides of the Extended Unified Model in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere validated with meteor radar observations
10 June, 2021 by Tracy Moffat-Griffin
The mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) is a critical region that must be accurately reproduced in general circulation models (GCMs) that aim to include the coupling between the lower and…Transcriptomic analysis of shell repair and biomineralization in the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis.
10 June, 2021 by Melody Clark, Tejaswi Yarra
Biomineralization by molluscs involves regulated deposition of calcium carbonate crystals within a protein framework to produce complex biocomposite structures. Effective biomineralization is a key trait for aquaculture, and animal resilience…Post‐fledging migration and wintering strategies of individual juvenile Lesser Black‐backed Gulls (Larus fuscus)
9 June, 2021 by Richard Phillips
Research into the patterns and drivers of juvenile migration is important for understanding the development of individual migration strategies. Although several recent studies have tracked adult large gulls throughout the…
Freshening increases the susceptibility to heat stress in intertidal mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the Arctic
4 June, 2021 by Jakob Thyrring
1. Temperatures in the Arctic are increasing at a faster pace than at lower latitudes resulting in range expansion of boreal species. In Greenland, the warming also drives accelerating melt…
Antarctic surface temperature and elevation during the Last Glacial Maximum
4 June, 2021 by Carlos Martin Garcia, Hugh Corr
Water-stable isotopes in polar ice cores are a widely used temperature proxy in paleoclimate reconstruction, yet calibration remains challenging in East Antarctica. Here, we reconstruct the magnitude and spatial pattern…Read more on Antarctic surface temperature and elevation during the Last Glacial Maximum
Can Antarctica’s shallow zoobenthos ‘bounce back’ from iceberg scouring impacts driven by climate change?
3 June, 2021 by David Barnes, Lloyd Peck, Nadescha Zwerschke, Simon Morley
All coastal systems experience disturbances and many across the planet are under unprecedented threat from an intensification of a variety of stressors. The West Antarctic Peninsula is a hotspot of…Statistical optimisation of diesel biodegradation at low temperatures by an Antarctic marine bacterial consortium isolated from non-contaminated seawater
3 June, 2021 by Peter Convey
Hydrocarbon pollution is widespread around the globe and, even in the remoteness of Antarctica, the impacts of hydrocarbons from anthropogenic sources are still apparent. Antarctica’s chronically cold temperatures and other…Growth optimisation and kinetic profiling of diesel biodegradation by a cold‒adapted microbial consortium isolated from Trinity Peninsula, Antarctica
2 June, 2021 by Peter Convey
Pollution associated with petrogenic hydrocarbons is increasing in Antarctica due to a combination of increasing human activity and the continent’s unforgiving environmental conditions. The current study focuses on the ability…Fine hyphal coils in the liverwort Cephaloziella varians increase in frequency in response to experimental warming in maritime Antarctica
2 June, 2021 by Kevin Newsham
Previous studies have shown changes to the frequencies of hyphal coils and other fungal structures in leafy liverwort tissues across latitudinal transects through Antarctica. Although suggestive of a role of…
Discovery of new colonies by Sentinel2 reveals good and bad news for emperor
1 June, 2021 by Philip Trathan, Peter Fretwell
The distribution of emperor penguins is circumpolar, with 54 colony locations currently reported of which 50 are currently extant as of 2019. Here we report on eight newly discovered colonies…Read more on Discovery of new colonies by Sentinel2 reveals good and bad news for emperor
Antarctic ecosystems in transition – life between stresses and opportunities
1 June, 2021 by Huw Griffiths, Lloyd Peck
Important findings from the second decade of the 21st century on the impact of environmental change on biological processes in the Antarctic were synthesised by 26 international experts. Ten key…Read more on Antarctic ecosystems in transition – life between stresses and opportunities
Comparison of interferometer calibration techniques for improved SuperDARN elevation angles
1 June, 2021 by Gareth Chisham
The high frequency radars in the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) estimate the elevation angles of returned backscatter using interferometric techniques. These elevation angles allow the ground range to…
Quantarctica, an integrated mapping environment for Antarctica, the Southern Ocean, and sub-Antarctic islands
1 June, 2021 by Huw Griffiths
Quantarctica (https://www.npolar.no/quantarctica) is a geospatial data package, analysis environment, and visualization platform for the Antarctic Continent, Southern Ocean (>40oS), and sub-Antarctic islands. Quantarctica works with the free, cross-platform Geographical Information…
Inhomogeneity of the surface air temperature record from Halley, Antarctica
1 June, 2021 by Andrew Orr, Gareth Marshall, Hua Lu, Scott Hosking, John King, John Turner, Steve Colwell, Tony Phillips
Commencing in 1956, observations made at Halley Research Station, Antarctica provide one of the longest continuous series of near-surface temperature observations from the Antarctic continent. Since few other records of…Read more on Inhomogeneity of the surface air temperature record from Halley, Antarctica
International response under the Antarctic Treaty System to the establishment of a non-native fly in Antarctica
1 June, 2021 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Antarctica currently has few non-native species, compared to other regions of the planet, due to the continent’s isolation, extreme climatic conditions and the lack of habitat. However, human activity, particularly…
Fidelity of yellowfin tuna to seamount and island foraging grounds in the central South Atlantic Ocean
1 June, 2021 by Martin Collins
The yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is a widely distributed, migratory species that supports valuable commercial fisheries throughout their range. Management of migratory species requires knowledge of movement, mixing and key…
Data on the arc magmatism developed in the Antarctic Peninsula and Patagonia during the Late Triassic – Jurassic: A compilation of new and previous geochronology, geochemistry and isotopic tracing results
1 June, 2021 by Teal Riley
We present the results of U-Pb zircon dating conducted using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), isotopic tracing analyses of Hf in zircon and Sr-Nd in whole-rock and whole-rock…
Ecosystem services in Antarctica: Global assessment of the current state, future challenges and managing opportunities
1 June, 2021 by Kevin Hughes, Susie Grant
Antarctic ecosystem services are rich and diverse and include global climate modulation, biodiversity and habitat protection, cultural heritage, scientific knowledge, education and recreation as well as the extraction of marine…Local- and large-scale drivers of variability in the coastal freshwater budget of the Western Antarctic Peninsula
1 June, 2021 by Hugh Venables, Alexander Brearley, Mark Barham, Michael Meredith
The west Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a region of marked climatic variability, exhibiting strong changes in sea ice extent, retreat of most of its glaciers, and shifts in the amount…
Developing UAV monitoring of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands’ iconic land-based marine predators
1 June, 2021 by Eugene Murphy, John Dickens, Martin Collins, Philip Hollyman, Philip Trathan, John Dickens
Many remote islands present barriers to effective wildlife monitoring in terms of challenging terrain and frequency of visits. The sub-Antarctic islands of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are…
Calving prediction from ice mélange motion [News]
1 June, 2021 by Irena Vankova
High-frequency radar tracking of icebergs floating in front of a glacier in Greenland show that movements of the ice mélange consistently increase before calving events, indicating that mélange has the…Read more on Calving prediction from ice mélange motion [News]
Marine genetic resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction: Promoting marine scientific research and enabling equitable benefit sharing
31 May, 2021 by Katrin Linse
Growing human activity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) is driving increasing impacts on the biodiversity of this vast area of the ocean. As a result, the United Nations General…
Improved estimates of preindustrial biomass burning reduce the magnitude of aerosol climate forcing in the Southern Hemisphere.
28 May, 2021 by Robert Mulvaney
Fire plays a pivotal role in shaping terrestrial ecosystems and the chemical composition of the atmosphere and thus influences Earth’s climate. The trend and magnitude of fire activity over the…Hemispheric asymmetry in ocean change and the productivity of ecosystem sentinels
28 May, 2021 by Philip Trathan
Climate change and other human activities are causing profound effects on marine ecosystem productivity. We show that the breeding success of seabirds is tracking hemispheric differences in ocean warming and…Read more on Hemispheric asymmetry in ocean change and the productivity of ecosystem sentinels
20 years of Zootaxa: Tardigrada (Ecdysozoa: Panarthropoda).
28 May, 2021 by Sandra McInnes, Sandra McInnes
Over the last two decades, Zootaxa has hosted nearly 200 papers concerning tardigrade taxonomy, systematics, phylogeny, and evolution. A total of 160 researchers from all continents (except the Antarctic) published…Read more on 20 years of Zootaxa: Tardigrada (Ecdysozoa: Panarthropoda).
Yellowfin tuna behavioural ecology and catchability in the South Atlantic: The right place at the right time (and depth).
28 May, 2021 by Martin Collins
The yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares: YFT) is a widely distributed, migratory species that supports valuable commercial fisheries. Landings of YFT are seasonally and spatially variable, reflecting changes in their availability…Activities of small‐scale gravity waves in the upper mesosphere observed from meteor radar at King Sejong Station, Antarctica (62.22°S, 58.78°W) and their potential sources
27 May, 2021
Gravity wave (GW) activities in the upper mesosphere (80–100 km) and their potential sources are investigated using meteor radar observations at King Sejong Station, Antarctica (KSS; 62.22°S, 58.78°W) during recent…
Modeling the geomagnetic response to the September 2017 space weather event over Fennoscandia using the Space Weather Modeling Framework: Studying the impacts of spatial resolution
26 May, 2021 by Mervyn Freeman
We must be able to predict and mitigate against GIC effects to minimize socio‐economic impacts. This study employs the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) to model the geomagnetic response over…Turbulent convection in subglacial lakes
25 May, 2021 by Louis-Alexandre Couston
Subglacial lakes are isolated, low-temperature and high-pressure water environments hidden under ice sheets. Here, we use two-dimensional direct numerical simulations in order to investigate the characteristic temperature fluctuations and velocities…
Observed interannual changes beneath Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf linked to large-scale atmospheric circulation
20 May, 2021 by Keith Nicholls, Peter Davis
Floating ice shelves are the Achilles’ heel of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. They limit Antarctica’s contribution to global sea level rise, yet they can be rapidly melted from beneath by…
The use of response surface methodology as a statistical tool for the optimisation of waste and pure canola oil biodegradation by Antarctic soil bacteria
20 May, 2021 by Peter Convey
Hydrocarbons can cause pollution to Antarctic terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, both through accidental release and the discharge of waste cooking oil in grey water. Such pollutants can persist for long…Stratospheric gravity waves over the mountainous island of South Georgia: testing a high-resolution dynamical model with 3-D satellite observations and radiosondes.
20 May, 2021 by John King, Tracy Moffat-Griffin
Atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) play an important role in atmospheric dynamics but accurately representing them in general circulation models (GCMs) is challenging. This is especially true for orographic GWs generated…
Two new species of the mite genus Stereotydeus Berlese, 1901 (Prostigmata: Penthalodidae) from Victoria Land, and a key for identification of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic species.
19 May, 2021 by Peter Convey
Two new mite species belonging to the genus Stereotydeus Berlese, 1901 were discovered from locations along the coast of Victoria Land, continental Antarctica. Previous records of this genus in the…
Is our dynamical understanding of the circulation changes associated with the Antarctic ozone hole sensitive to the choice of reanalysis dataset?
18 May, 2021 by Andrew Orr, Gareth Marshall, Hua Lu, Thomas Bracegirdle
This study quantifies differences among four widely used atmospheric reanalysis datasets (ERA5, JRA-55, MERRA-2, and CFSR) in their representation of the dynamical changes induced by springtime polar stratospheric ozone depletion…
Health and sustainability of glaciers in High Mountain Asia
17 May, 2021 by Michael McCarthy, Michael McCarthy
Glaciers in High Mountain Asia generate meltwater that supports the water needs of 250 million people, but current knowledge of annual accumulation and ablation is limited to sparse field measurements…Read more on Health and sustainability of glaciers in High Mountain Asia
Evidence of sub‐MeV EMIC‐driven trapped electron flux dropouts from GPS observations
16 May, 2021 by Mark Clilverd
For many years, it was believed that resonant interactions between electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves and radiation belt electrons were restricted to electron energies > 1 − 2 MeV. In…Read more on Evidence of sub‐MeV EMIC‐driven trapped electron flux dropouts from GPS observations
Optimal operator preconditioning for pseudodifferential boundary problems.
15 May, 2021 by Jakub Stocek
We propose an operator preconditioner for general elliptic pseudodifferential equations in a domain Ω, where Ω is either in Rn or in a Riemannian manifold. For linear systems of equations…Read more on Optimal operator preconditioning for pseudodifferential boundary problems.
Ice‐shelf meltwater overturning in the Bellingshausen Sea
13 May, 2021 by Deb Shoosmith
Hydrographic data are analyzed for the broad continental shelf of the Bellingshausen Sea, which is host to a number of rapidly‐thinning ice shelves. The flow of warm Circumpolar Deep Water…Read more on Ice‐shelf meltwater overturning in the Bellingshausen Sea
Responses of Southern Ocean seafloor habitats and communities to global and local drivers of change
13 May, 2021 by David Barnes, Huw Griffiths, Simon Morley
Knowledge of life on the Southern Ocean seafloor has substantially grown since the beginning of this century with increasing ship-based surveys and regular monitoring sites, new technologies and greatly enhanced…
Wind variations in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere near 60°S latitude during the 2019 Antarctic sudden stratospheric warming
7 May, 2021 by Tracy Moffat-Griffin
Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) could act as an important mediator in the vertical coupling of atmospheric regions and dramatic variations in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) in response to…First record of the cyanobacterial genus Wilmottia (Coleofasciculaceae, Oscillatoriales) from the South Orkney Islands (Antarctica)
6 May, 2021 by Peter Convey
Two cyanobacterial morphotypes isolated from Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, maritime Antarctica were characterised using a polyphasic approach combining morphological, cytological and molecular analyses. These analyses showed that the strains…
Comparison of the oxygen isotope signatures in speleothem records and iHadCM3 model simulations for the last millennium
5 May, 2021 by Louise Sime
Improving the understanding of changes in the mean and variability of climate variables as well as their interrelation is crucial for reliable climate change projections. Comparisons between general circulation models…
Using a sclerochronological approach to determine a climate-growth relationship for waved whelk, Buccinum undatum, in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic
5 May, 2021 by Philip Hollyman
Using growth rings observed in statoliths, the size-at-age relationship was modeled for waved whelk (Buccinum undatum) populations within the Mid-Atlantic Bight. A total of 45 sites in the Mid-Atlantic were…