Aimed at KS2, children have the opportunity to find out about the facilities at Rothera research station and the challenges faced in trying to modernise it without impacting upon this special environment. They can ask questions to a scientist, pilot and engineers on station.
Tag: science
2023-2024 field season begins for British Antarctic Survey
19 October, 2023
The Antarctic field season has started, with over 600 people beginning the journey South to work on over 60 projects on station and in the field. The season of work …
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New threat to Antarctic fur seals
16 October, 2023
Antarctic fur seals that were hunted to near extinction have recovered but now face dangerous decline because of a lack of food, new research suggests. The study of fur seals, …
Loss of sea ice causes catastrophic breeding failure for emperor penguins
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 …
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DNA Detectives: New ways to spot Southern Ocean hitchhikers
10 July, 2023
How do you spot an invader you can’t see in a harsh and unforgiving environment? A team of international scientists are looking for new methods to defend the frozen continent …
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Threatened sea birds visit plastic pollution hot spots
4 July, 2023
Plastic pollution accumulating in international waters poses a serious risk to marine life, including a number of threatened bird species. A huge team of scientists studied the global movements of …
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Fish survival in the extreme cold
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, …
Ground beneath Thwaites Glacier mapped for first time
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 …
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British Antarctic Survey at Bluedot Festival 2023
British Antarctic Survey is delighted to be exhibiting at this year’s Bluedot Festival from 20-23 July 2023. Join us at Bluedot Festival – an award winning line up of music, science and …
Scientists named on TIME100 list for Antarctic research
13 April, 2023
Scientists Dr Peter Davis (British Antarctic Survey) and Dr Britney Schmidt (Cornell University) have been named in the 2023 TIME100 annual list of the 100 most influential people in the …
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Breaking records and exploring life in the abyss
21 March, 2023 Huw Griffiths
We are marine biologists that study seafloor creatures, Jamie is doing a PhD investigating Antarctic sea spiders in the University of Galway and Huw works at BAS. Both of us …
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Here we go again…
14 March, 2023 Christopher Robert Lloyd
Christopher Robert Lloyd, Associate Project Manager at Ramboll is currently working at Rothera Research Station on the construction of the Discovery Building for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP). In …
Rothera Marine Team – Overcoming challenges
3 January, 2023 Aurelia Reichardt
Working in Antarctica often means making the best out of what you got. For the Rothera 2022 wintering team, this meant spending a winter without diving, which had to be …
First science on board RRS Sir David Attenborough
16 May, 2022 Emily Neville
Britain’s new polar ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough, has reached another exciting milestone, completing its first ever scientific assignment – retrieving a scientific mooring! RRS Sir David Attenborough is currently …
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Universities Network: COP26 Images of Innovation Exhibition
19 October, 2021
The Innovation Showcase explains how innovative science and technology is helping or, in future, could substantially help the goals of COP26 and of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enabling adaptation to climate change or informing action related to climate change.
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Immersive science-art exhibition opens at Glasgow Science Centre
29 September, 2021
A new immersive exhibition, Polar Zero, opens at Glasgow Science Centre this weekend (2 October), injecting an artistic and cultural dimension to the climate negotiations at the Conference of the …
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RRS Sir David Attenborough departs Cammell Laird for technical sea trials
21 October, 2020
BIRKENHEAD. Today (Wednesday 21 October) the UK’s most advanced polar research ship – RRS Sir David Attenborough – leaves Cammell Laird shipyard for two weeks of technical sea trials. In …
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Blog: South Georgia whale expedition in full swing!
22 January, 2020 Jennifer Jackson
BAS biologist Dr Jennifer Jackson shares updates from the South Georgia southern right whale expedition currently in progress in the sub-Antarctic. During January 2020, the British Antarctic Survey’s wild water …
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Warming up the Antarctic: Harder than you think
29 July, 2019 Melody Clark
Professor Melody Clark, Project Leader, discusses the trials and tribulations of undertaking research in Antarctica. Her latest paper published in Nature Communications shows that rising sea temperatures of just 1-2 …
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Subglacial hydrological control on flow of an Antarctic Peninsula palaeo-ice stream
5 June, 2019 by Alexander Tate, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith, James Kirkham, Kelly Hogan, Robert Larter, Zoe Roseby
Basal hydrological systems play an important role in controlling the dynamic behaviour of ice streams. Data showing their morphology and relationship to geological substrates beneath modern ice streams are, however,…Read more on Subglacial hydrological control on flow of an Antarctic Peninsula palaeo-ice stream
Seabird populations on Antarctic Peninsula unexpected
5 December, 2018
Results of a new study on Antarctic seabirds shows a larger percentage of their populations inhabit important nesting sites around Ryder Bay, close to British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Station than …
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Hay Festival short film highlights Antarctic climate science
29 May, 2018
Leading climate scientist and BAS oceanographer Dr Emily Shuckburgh worked with award-winning author and illustrator Chris Haughton to create the short film Message from Antarctica. This is part of the …
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ISLAND SCIENCE: Living in Harmony
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 …
New study reveals increased snowfall in Antarctica over last two centuries
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 …
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SCIENCE AT SEA: Surveys and Sediments
27 March, 2018 Matthew Chadwick
Matthew Chadwick is a member of the science team from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) currently aboard the RRS Discovery. Read on to gain an insight into what the team have …
Research cruise heading to study South Atlantic islands
16 March, 2018
The RRS James Clark Ross left the Falkland Islands yesterday (15th March) and is travelling towards Tristan Da Cunha, with expected arrival on the 22nd March. The vessel will survey …
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SCIENCE AT SEA: Setting off for the Scotia Sea
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 …
ENGINEERING AT SEA: Supporting Marine Science
9 March, 2018 Carwyn Davies
Mechanical engineer Carwyn Davies, from British Antarctic Survey’s Antarctic Marine Engineering (AME) is working onboard the RRS James Clark Ross with our science team to investigate Larsen C Benthos. Find …
STATION SCIENCE: Higher predator monitoring
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 …
SCIENCE IN THE SEA: You study what?
28 February, 2018 Mel Mackenzie
Dr Mel Mackenzie, a Collection Manager of Marine Invertebrates at Museums Victoria in Melbourne, is living and working on board the BAS research ship RRS James Clark Ross for the …
SCIENCE IN THE SEA: The adventure begins
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 …
SCIENCE IN THE SEA: Studying Southern Right Whales
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 …
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First expedition to newly exposed Antarctic ecosystem
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 …
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Celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2018
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 …
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SCIENCE IN THE SEA: Rolling, rolling, rolling
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 …
Working together to make the Arctic more accessible for science
2 February, 2018
Fifteen research institutes from around the world, including British Antarctic Survey, have joined forces to allow scientists access to their polar ships to carry out marine-based research in the Arctic. …
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Life in the slow lane
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 …
Lanternfish reveal how ocean warming impacts the twilight zone
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 …
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New Year Honours for British Antarctic Survey scientist
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 …
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SCIENCE IN THE SEA – Part 4: Sea ice and science
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 …
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SCIENCE IN THE SEA – Part 1: Journey to the JCR!
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 …
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‘Scars’ left by icebergs record West Antarctic ice retreat
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 …
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Scientists to visit hidden Antarctic ecosystem after giant iceberg calving
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 …
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Double New Year Honours for British Antarctic Survey Directors
31 December, 2016
Two leading polar scientists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have received awards in the 2017 New Year Honours list from Her Majesty the Queen. BAS Director, Professor Jane Francis, …
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Continuous Plankton Recorder
Contemporary research has shown that the Southern Ocean is warming. Summer surface temperatures have risen by more than 1 degree Centigrade in the last 80 years and a strong upper-layer …
ORCHESTRA
Understanding the Ocean Regulation of Climate by Heat, Carbon Sequestration and Transports
White-chinned Petrel Tracking
The white-chinned petrel is the most common bird species recorded as fisheries bycatch in the Southern Ocean [1]. Although currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, limited population trend data …
SHIP BLOG: Heading for home
31 March, 2016 Susie Grant
The ship’s science labs have all been packed up and cleaned, kit boxes stowed in the container, cargo paperwork finished and cruise reports written. The SO-AntEco team is ready to …
SHIP BLOG: Rhythm of the night
25 March, 2016 Hilary Blagbrough
Oh look it’s snowing/raining and getting dark… it must be time for the Night Shift. I’m Hilary, the night shift leader on the SO-AntEco scientific cruise to the South Orkney …
SHIP BLOG: Science Week questions answered from the Southern Ocean
23 March, 2016 Susie Grant
Last week was UK Science Week, and we asked schools and anyone else who had burning questions about the Antarctic deep sea to send them to us here on the …
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ANTARCTIC BLOG: preparation is everything
15 February, 2016 Huw Griffiths
As the days count down towards departure the dreams about forgetting my passport at the airport become more frequent. My office in Cambridge is a long way from the Antarctic …
ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #8
27 January, 2016 Joanne Johnson
Reflections from the ANiSEED team in Marie Byrd Land Field Guide Al Docherty recounts his most memorable day of the field season so far: “7am the alarm goes off. I look …
ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #7
27 January, 2016 Joanne Johnson
Every person who works in Antarctica has a different experience and takes away different memories because our perception is shaped so much by our previous life experiences. The four of …
ANTARCTIC BLOG: Extreme Geology #6
11 January, 2016 Joanne Johnson
The challenges of glacier travel The ANiSEED project field area lies between two of the most rapidly changing glaciers in Antarctica, the Smith and Kohler Glaciers. These have thinned more …
Airborne science and technology
Discover the UK’s national capability to support science from the air
EISCAT Science Support
The UK EISCAT support group (UKESG) is a collaboration between the British Antarctic Survey and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, funded via the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) EISCAT, the …
A High-Order Model of the Earth’s External and Induced Magnetic Field
For centuries people have used magnetic compasses to guide them on their way and explore new territories. This has led scientists to embark on their own journeys of discovery about …
A23 repeat section
Understanding Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) and its affect on global ocean circulation.
ASCCC
The ASCCC Project has been funded by ACE (Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition) to investigate, quantify and understand the role of polar and subpolar seabeds in the carbon cycle, particularly in response …