30 January, 2026
Welcome to a bumper edition of our postcard update! Rothera Research Station has been a hive of activity since our last postcard with science and operations underway, VIP and …
Read more on Postcard from Rothera Research Station: January 2026
29 January, 2026
A team of researchers from the UK and Korea has reached the most inaccessible and least-understood part of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica where they will drill through the glacier to directly observe how warm ocean water is …
Read more on Scientists’ drilling mission on remote and inaccessible glacier
21 January, 2026
This year, escape the ordinary and apply for the job of a lifetime in Antarctica. While January is often associated with post-Christmas gloom, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for people to work at its research stations in Antarctica, …
Read more on Escape the January blues – applications open for jobs in Antarctica
14 January, 2026
Scientists working in Antarctica will benefit from a major new British Antarctic Survey (BAS) facility that demonstrates the UK’s position as a world leader in polar research. The £100 million …
Read more on UK investment in polar research reaches milestone with opening of new Antarctic hub
19 December, 2025
Specialist divers will be entering the icy waters of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica this festive season (22-29 December) as part of a groundbreaking mission to test RRS Sir David Attenborough’s …
12 December, 2025
Researchers, engineers and support staff at British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) five UK research stations and aboard the UK’s polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough mark the festive season at …
4 December, 2025
Scientists have uncovered how changing ocean currents in South Georgia’s fjords could affect the survival of young mackerel icefish. The species is a key component of the island’s rich marine …
Read more on Ocean currents shape fish survival in South Georgia’s fjords
20 November, 2025
Discovery Building takes shape The latest update from Rothera, our largest research station in Antarctica, where construction work on the new Discovery Building is advancing well as the summer season …
Read more on 20 November 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
13 November, 2025
New research reveals 47% decline in breeding female elephant seals at sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia following a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) …
Read more on Severe impact of avian flu on southern elephant seals
24 October, 2025
The 2025 – 2026 Antarctic season is a landmark for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and its Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Project (AIMP), as the new Discovery Building begins to take …
Read more on Discovery Building comes to life in a milestone new season for British Antarctic Survey
22 October, 2025
Pink granite boulders scattered across the dark volcanic peaks of the Hudson Mountains in West Antarctica, have revealed the presence of a vast buried granite body – almost 100 km …
Read more on Hidden giant granite discovered beneath West Antarctic Ice Sheet
20 October, 2025
New advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are transforming the way scientists explore and understand some of the most remote parts of the ocean around Antarctica and the strange creatures that …
Read more on Artificial Intelligence supercharges science on the Antarctic seafloor
16 October, 2025
RRS Sir David Attenborough departs from Plymouth on 17 October to begin five-week voyage to Antarctica, marking the start of the new Antarctic field season. Cambridge, UK – British Antarctic …
19 September, 2025
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is pioneering inclusivity in one of the world’s most challenging environments – the vast, icy expanse of Antarctica. Through pioneering work on polar hygiene and broader …
17 September, 2025
17 September 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station The British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) wintering team continues to make progress on our new science and operations facility, the Discovery Building at Rothera Research …
Read more on 17 September 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
9 September, 2025
Well-publicised geoengineering ideas are highly unlikely to help the polar regions and could harm ecosystems, communities, international relations, and our chances of reaching net zero by 2050. This is according to …
Read more on Review suggests polar geoengineering ideas could do more harm than good
11 August, 2025
The remains of an Antarctic researcher have been discovered by a Polish team among rocks exposed by a receding glacier in Antarctica. They are identified by DNA as those of …
Read more on Remains of British researcher lost in 1959 recovered from Antarctic glacier
6 August, 2025 Sarah Le Besque
Glaciers – immense rivers of ice, containing vast volumes of freshwater – are often considered barren environments, and the melting of them seen as an indicator of climate change. But …
5 August, 2025
The Mapping and Geographic Information Centre (MAGIC) at the British Antarctic Survey have produced new maps of the topography (physical features) and geology of Alexander Island in Antarctica. These maps …
Read more on New maps published of Alexander Island, Antarctica
31 July, 2025
31 July 2025: Postcard from Rothera With the end of the 2024/25 Antarctic construction season, the British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) wintering team settles in at Rothera Research Station. Rothera is …
Read more on 31 July 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
24 July, 2025
A new study has revealed that ocean tides can directly influence when massive Antarctic icebergs break off from the ice shelves surrounding the continent, a process known as calving. The research marks a major step toward accurately forecasting ice loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet and improving projections of global sea level rise.
Read more on New research links ocean tides to when icebergs in Antarctica break off
11 July, 2025
How do you measure success when assessing one of the most remarkable examples of international collaboration and diplomacy ever?
Read more on The Antarctic Treaty and the role of National Antarctic Programmes
11 July, 2025
A team of scientists, including those from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), have uncovered the hidden remains of a vast ancient coastal plain beneath East Antarctica—an important discovery that could refine forecasts of future global sea level rise.
Read more on Ancient river landscapes discovered beneath East Antarctica
4 July, 2025
A new study in collaboration with BAS scientists reveals for the first time that zooplankton migration contributes significantly to carbon storage in the Southern Ocean – a process currently overlooked …
Read more on Tiny ocean heroes play a massive role in Southern Ocean carbon storage
30 June, 2025
A team from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is attending this year’s Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), a diplomatic forum to discuss the governance and environmental protection of Antarctica. Every June …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey attends Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
26 June, 2025
A new study challenges recent claims about dramatic “greening” in Antarctica and how this conflicts with decades of field-based ecological knowledge. The new opinion article ‘Is Antarctica Greening?’, published in …
Read more on Study challenges recent claims about rapid Antarctic “greening”
25 June, 2025
Professor Mike Meredith is an oceanographer at British Antarctic Survey. He concludes a first of its kind science cruise on the RRS Sir David Attenborough conducting research in the polar …
Read more on A first for RRS Sir David Attenborough: science in the dark
24 June, 2025
As the 2024/25 Antarctic construction season comes to a close, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) marks a crucial milestone in the modernisation of Rothera Research Station, as the Discovery Building …
Read more on End of season milestone: Discovery Building lights the way forward
18 June, 2025
New study reveals how Antarctic seals are responding to shifts in Antarctic sea ice and what long term changes could mean for their future survival. A new study of Antarctic …
Read more on Seals study shows melting sea ice is shaping their future
10 June, 2025
Antarctica’s emperor penguin population may be decreasing faster than some of the most pessimistic predictions. A new analysis of up-to-date satellite imagery suggests the birds’ numbers declined 22% over a …
Read more on Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica declining faster than thought
5 June, 2025
Antarctica could see a doubling of extreme weather events – such as atmospheric rivers – by 2100, with implications for future sea level rise. A new study published last week …
Read more on Climate change supercharges atmospheric rivers over Antarctica
27 May, 2025
The British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) new scientific support and operations facility, the Discovery Building, is now coming into operational use at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica. Marking a major milestone …
Read more on Major Antarctic operations hub switches on to support UK polar science
9 May, 2025
British Antarctic Survey scientists and support staff are coming to the end of another successful Antarctic science season. Teams are now preparing for the transition to winter operations as the …
Read more on Celebrating a successful Antarctic science season
28 April, 2025
Cambridge, 28 April 2025: The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is hosting a two-day kick-off meeting this week to launch the ambitious new £8.4 million PRESCIENT programme. This major initiative, funded …
Read more on Scientists come together for new ambitious science programme
22 April, 2025
This Earth Day (22 April 2025) the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is spotlighting a new book that showcases the latest scientific insights from the Antarctic. Antarctica and the Earth System, …
Read more on Antarctica’s global impact highlighted in new book
18 April, 2025
Here’s our latest postcard from Rothera Research Station – Discovery Building progress and station life! March was a bustling month at our Antarctic station, with the final flight (of our …
Read more on 18 April 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
4 April, 2025
For the first time, scientists have collected measurements close to a giant iceberg, giving an unprecedented window into the impact of meltwater on the surrounding Southern Ocean and ecosystem. The …
Read more on Underwater robotic gliders provide new insights into the impact of a melting megaberg
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