Our publications

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A biologist’s guide to the galaxy: Leveraging artificial intelligence and very high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor marine mammals from space

11 March, 2023 by Hannah Cubaynes, Penny Clarke

Monitoring marine mammals is of broad interest to governments and individuals around the globe. Very high-resolution (VHR) satellites hold the promise of reaching remote and challenging locations to fill gaps…

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Characterization of Gravity Waves in Three Dimensions in the Daytime Thermosphere Using Combined Optical and Radio Measurements and Estimation of Horizontal Neutral Winds

7 March, 2023 by Subir Mandal

Gravity waves, which are considered omnipresent in the Earth's upper atmosphere, are generally investigated by monitoring the fluctuations in different atmospheric parameters. Here, we report the propagation characteristics of thermospheric…

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Cryptic fungal diversity revealed by DNA metabarcoding in historic wooden structures at Whalers Bay, Deception Island, maritime Antarctic

1 March, 2023 by Peter Convey

We provide the first assessment of fungal diversity associated with historic wooden structures at Whalers Bay (Heritage Monument 71), Deception Island, maritime Antarctic, using DNA metabarcoding. We detected a total…

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A polar insect’s tale: Observations on the life cycle of Parochlus steinenii, the only winged midge native to Antarctica

1 March, 2023 by Peter Convey

Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands include some of the world’s most extreme and pristine terrestrial habitats. While they are characterized by low biodiversity and terrestrial communities comprise small, often microscopic,…

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Strongly depth-dependent ice fabric in a fast-flowing Antarctic ice stream revealed with icequake observations

1 March, 2023 by Alex Brisbourne, Andy Smith, Carlos Martin Garcia, Sofia-Katerina Kufner

The crystal orientation fabric of glacier ice impacts its strength and flow. Crystal fabric is therefore an important consideration when modelling ice flow. Here, we show that shear-wave splitting (SWS)…

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Optimization of Single-step Pravastatin Production by Penicillium brefeldianum ESF21P through Response Surface Methodology

1 March, 2023 by Peter Convey

The aim of the present study was to optimize the fermentation process for enhanced production of pravastatin by a wild-type Penicillium brefeldianum ESF21P strain using statistical approaches. Initial screening of…

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Long-term stability in the circumpolar foraging range of a Southern Ocean predator between the eras of whaling and rapid climate change

27 February, 2023 by Jennifer Jackson

Assessing environmental changes in Southern Ocean ecosystems is difficult due to its remoteness and data sparsity. Monitoring marine predators that respond rapidly to environmental variation may enable us to track…

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Horizon scanning for potential invasive non-native species across the United Kingdom Overseas Territories

24 February, 2023 by David Barnes, Jonathan Shanklin, Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey

Invasive non-native species (INNS) are recognized as a major threat to island biodiversity, ecosystems, and economies globally. Preventing high-risk INNS from being introduced is the most cost-effective way to avoid…

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Soil Fungal Diversity and Ecology Assessed Using DNA Metabarcoding along a Deglaciated Chronosequence at Clearwater Mesa, James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula

8 February, 2023 by Peter Convey

We studied the fungal diversity present in soils sampled along a deglaciated chronosequence from para- to periglacial conditions on James Ross Island, north-east Antarctic Peninsula, using DNA metabarcoding. A total…

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Potential for redistribution of post‐moult habitat for Eudyptes penguins in the Southern Ocean under future climate conditions

1 February, 2023 by Norman Ratcliffe

Anthropogenic climate change is resulting in spatial redistributions of many species. We assessed the potential effects of climate change on an abundant and widely distributed group of diving birds, Eudyptes…

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Exploratory mapping of blue ice regions in Antarctica using very high resolution satellite remote sensing data

1 February, 2023 by Peter Convey, Peter Fretwell

Mapping spatiotemporal changes in the distribution of blue ice regions (BIRs) in Antarctica requires repeated, precise, and high-resolution baseline maps of the blue ice extent. This study demonstrated the design…

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Plasma-neutral interactions in the lower thermosphere-ionosphere: The need for in situ measurements to address focused questions

30 January, 2023 by Mark Clilverd

The lower thermosphere-ionosphere (LTI) is a key transition region between Earth’s atmosphere and space. Interactions between ions and neutrals maximize within the LTI and in particular at altitudes from 100…

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Solar Cycle and Long‐Term Trends in the Observed Peak of the Meteor Altitude Distributions by Meteor Radars

25 January, 2023 by Neil Cobbett, Tracy Moffat-Griffin

The mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT, 80–100 km) region is an important boundary between Earth's atmosphere below and space above and may act as a sensitive indicator for anthropogenic climate change. Existing…

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Advancing Antarctic climate change policy: Upcoming opportunities for scientists and policymakers to work together [Editorial]

16 January, 2023 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey, Rachel Cavanagh

Climate change is increasingly affecting Antarctica and the rest of the world. Urgent policy responses are needed to mitigate its associated impacts. Engagement of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM),…

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Anomalously high heat flow regions beneath the Transantarctic Mountains and Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica inferred from Curie depth

3 January, 2023 by Maximilian Lowe, Robert Larter, Tom Jordan

The Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) separate the warmer lithosphere of the Cretaceous-Tertiary West Antarctic rift system and the colder and older provinces of East Antarctica. Low velocity zones beneath the TAM…

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Integrating human dimensions in decadal-scale prediction for marine social–ecological systems: lighting the grey zone

1 January, 2023 by Eugene Murphy

The dynamics of marine systems at decadal scales are notoriously hard to predict—hence references to this timescale as the “grey zone” for ocean prediction. Nevertheless, decadal-scale prediction is a rapidly…

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Second Virtual International Symposium on Cellular and Organismal Stress Responses, September 8–9, 2022 [Meeting Review]

1 January, 2023 by Melody Clark

The Second International Symposium on Cellular and Organismal Stress Responses took place virtually on September 8–9, 2022. This meeting was supported by the Cell Stress Society International (CSSI) and organized…

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Baroclinic Ocean Response to Climate Forcing Regulates Decadal Variability of Ice‐Shelf Melting in the Amundsen Sea

28 December, 2022 by Kaitlin Naughten, Paul Holland, Pierre Dutrieux

Warm ocean waters drive rapid ice-shelf melting in the Amundsen Sea. The ocean heat transport toward the ice shelves is associated with the Amundsen Undercurrent, a near-bottom current that flows…

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Geomagnetically Induced Current Modeling in New Zealand: Extreme Storm analysis using multiple disturbance scenarios and industry provided hazard magnitudes

27 December, 2022 by Mark Clilverd

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) are induced in electrical power transmission networks during geomagnetic disturbances. Understanding the magnitude and duration of the GIC expected during worst-case extreme storm scenarios is vital…

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Seismic noise interferometry and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS): Inverting for the firn layer S-velocity structure on Rutford Ice Stream, Antarctica

25 December, 2022 by Alex Brisbourne, Sofia-Katerina Kufner

Firn densification profiles are an important parameter for ice-sheet mass balance and palaeoclimate studies. One conventional method of investigating firn profiles is using seismic refraction surveys, but these are difficult…

Read more on Seismic noise interferometry and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS): Inverting for the firn layer S-velocity structure on Rutford Ice Stream, Antarctica

Anthropogenic and internal drivers of wind changes over the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, during the 20th and 21st centuries

22 December, 2022 by James Smith, Kaitlin Naughten, Paul Holland, Pierre Dutrieux, Thomas Bracegirdle

Ocean-driven ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is a significant contributor to sea-level rise. Recent ocean variability in the Amundsen Sea is controlled by near-surface winds. We combine…

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Evolutionary conservation and divergence of the transcriptional regulation of bivalve shell secretion across life history stages

21 December, 2022 by Alessandro Cavallo, Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark, Victoria Sleight

Adult molluscs produce shells with diverse morphologies and ornamentations, different colour patterns and microstructures. The larval shell, however, is a phenotypically more conserved structure. How do developmental and evolutionary processes…

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West Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics in the Amundsen Sea Sector since the Late Miocene—Tying IODP Expedition 379 Results to Seismic Data

21 December, 2022 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand

Observations of rapid ongoing grounding line retreat, ice shelf thinning and accelerated ice flow from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) may forebode a possible collapse if global temperatures continue…

Read more on West Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics in the Amundsen Sea Sector since the Late Miocene—Tying IODP Expedition 379 Results to Seismic Data

Examination of Radiation Belt Dynamics during Substorm Clusters: Magnetic Local Time Variation and Intensity of Precipitating Fluxes

17 December, 2022 by Mark Clilverd

Substorms are short-lived but significant reconfigurations of the geomagnetic field during which energetic particles are injected into the inner magnetosphere close to magnetic midnight. There is currently a need to…

Read more on Examination of Radiation Belt Dynamics during Substorm Clusters: Magnetic Local Time Variation and Intensity of Precipitating Fluxes

Life History of the Arctic Squid Gonatus fabricii (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) Reconstructed by Analysis of Individual Ontogenetic Stable Isotopic Trajectories

15 December, 2022

Cephalopods are important in Arctic marine ecosystems as predators and prey, but knowledge of their life cycles is poor. Consequently, they are under-represented in the Arctic ecosystems assessment models. One…

Read more on Life History of the Arctic Squid Gonatus fabricii (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) Reconstructed by Analysis of Individual Ontogenetic Stable Isotopic Trajectories

​Rapid response to experimental warming of a microbial community inhabiting High Arctic patterned ground soil

14 December, 2022 by Elisabeth Biersma, Guy Hillyard, Kevin Newsham

The influence of climate change on microbial communities inhabiting the sparsely vegetated patterned ground soils that are widespread across the High Arctic is poorly understood. Here, in a four-year experiment…

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Ant-ICON – ‘Integrated Science to Inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation’: a new SCAR Scientific Research Programme

8 December, 2022 by Jasmine Lee, Kevin Hughes

Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments are facing increasing pressure from multiple threats. The Antarctic Treaty System regularly looks to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) for the provision of…

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Fungal and fungal-like diversity in marine sediments from the maritime Antarctic assessed using DNA metabarcoding

6 December, 2022 by Peter Convey

We assessed the fungal and fungal-like sequence diversity present in marine sediments obtained in the vicinity of the South Shetland Islands (Southern Ocean) using DNA metabarcoding through high-throughput sequencing (HTS).…

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