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
10 November, 2025
A scientist from the British Antarctic Survey has contributed to a major new international publication, coordinated by the UK National Commission for UNESCO, which highlights the accelerating decline of glaciers …
Read more on UK scientists contribute to global UNESCO report warning of unprecedented glacier loss
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 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 …
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
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
24 November, 2024
From their unmistakable tusks to their characteristic bristles (the envy of many a ‘Movember’ moustache!), the walrus is one of the Arctic’s most iconic species, and today (Sunday 24 November) …
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
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
2 September, 2024
Cambridge researchers are set to explore the uncharted depths of life in the extreme cold, with findings that could reshape our understanding of biology and pave the way for future …
Read more on New project to unlock life’s secrets in extreme cold
6 August, 2024
The first continent-wide mapping study of plant life across Antarctica reveals growth in previously uncharted areas, and is set to inform conservation measures across the region. Published today in Nature …
Read more on First Antarctic-wide survey of plant life to aid conservation efforts
1 August, 2024
An interdisciplinary team of researchers is heading back to Greenland this week (30 July) for the second phase of the Wandel Dal Project. This unique project aims to unravel the …
Read more on Expedition to Greenland will piece together movements of ancient civilisation
8 February, 2024
The first direct evidence that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet shrank suddenly and dramatically at the end of the Last Ice Age, around eight thousand years ago, is published in …
Read more on Ice cores reveal rapid Antarctic ice loss in the past
11 December, 2023
A special issue of the journal Oceanography has shone a spotlight on the collaborative FindAScienceBerth project, inspiring people and institutions to make positive change towards increasing diversity. The FindAScienceBerth project is …
Read more on Building diversity, equity, and inclusion in ocean science
30 November, 2023
Leading UK climate science organisations are driving forwards a national alliance focused on climate solutions for society, led by new co-directors including Professor Michael Meredith from British Antarctic Survey (BAS). …
Read more on Next phase of national climate science partnership
13 November, 2023
Antarctica Live Lessons, a new and exciting learning resource, launches today (13 November). Aimed at engaging and inspiring the imaginations of young learners, the platform introduces an array of live, …
Read more on New ‘live lessons’ offer interactive learning for kids
17 July, 2023
In a significant milestone for Antarctic research, detailed and extensive information on ice thickness and bed topography is now available for the first time in a centralised and standardised format. …
12 July, 2023
This month, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the Dutch Research Council NWO, on behalf of the Netherlands Polar Programme (NPP), accepted the renewal of the longstanding scientific cooperation agreement to …
23 June, 2023
A recent study published in the journal Earth Science, Systems and Society sheds light on the experiences and viewpoints of staff working for British Antarctic Survey (BAS) from minority backgrounds. …
Read more on Perspectives from minority staff working in polar research
1 March, 2023 Pippa Whitehouse
Zero Discrimination Day highlights the right of all people to live healthy, full and productive lives with dignity and ending all forms of discrimination that impact on quality of life, …
Read more on Zero Discrimination Day: the challenges of listening and checking internal bias
3 January, 2023
Applications to carry out small-scale research projects in the Antarctic in the 2023/24 season are invited from UK-based researchers through the Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (CASS). The Collaborative Antarctic Science …
Read more on Opportunities for Antarctic research – apply now
21 July, 2022
The second of six winter krill surveys in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is underway. The first winter krill survey was completed successfully on board the South Georgia …
8 June, 2022
A new dataset featuring hundreds of satellite images of whales has been published to support the development of artificial intelligence systems which will aid crucial conservation work.
8 June, 2022 Pilvi Saarikoski
Over the past year, our Equality Diversity and Inclusion interns have spent time at BAS working on a variety of fascinating polar projects. Here, we hear about how they’ve built …
Read more on In conversation with our interns: Career progression
22 April, 2022
A new study featuring contributions from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists has identified 100 pressing research questions on climate change and water resources in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) that must be answered to protect the communities that live there.
Read more on Study sets course for research on Himalayan waters
10 March, 2022
New research shows the slow growth in Antarctic fish is linked to problems making proteins.
Read more on Scientists reveal growth limits of Antarctic fish
21 February, 2022
A new study has found that the world’s second-largest ice sheet is generating huge amounts of heat. Researchers including BAS oceanographer Dr Keith Nicholls have observed extremely high rates of melting at the bottom of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Read more on Heat source melting Greenland Ice Sheet discovered
14 December, 2021
Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier is retreating rapidly as a warming ocean slowly erases its ice from below, leading to a faster flow, more fracturing and a threat of collapse, according to …
Read more on The threat from Thwaites: the retreat of Antarctica’s riskiest glacier
18 November, 2021
An international team of scientists led by British Antarctic Survey have published research today on using new technology to study mass stranding of whales from space and how the technology …
Read more on Space technology and artificial intelligence to monitor whale mass stranding events
3 November, 2021
British Antarctic Survey is one of seven Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) supported centres and the Met Office, which will work together as the new UK National Climate Science Partnership (UKNCSP) to respond to threats posed by a rapidly changing climate by putting climate science at the forefront of the solutions agenda.
Read more on UK researchers join forces to put science at forefront of climate solutions
12 October, 2021
A dramatic art installation symbolising our warming climate will be launched at the Cambridge Cleantech annual conference on 20 October as the city’s innovators and scientists gather together to brainstorm …
Specialist ice core facility to measure concentration and isotopic composition of greenhouse gases
14 September, 2021
New research by scientists at British Antarctic Survey and Bielefeld University explains how the chaotic formation of genetic islands can occur in marine molluscs. Usually, the individuals of a population …
Read more on Chaotic formation of genetic islands among marine molluscs
26 August, 2021
A new AI (artificial intelligence) tool is set to enable scientists to more accurately forecast Arctic sea ice conditions months into the future. The improved predictions could underpin new early-warning …
Read more on Artificial intelligence to help predict Arctic sea ice loss
13 August, 2021
Outcomes of the first phase of the Diversity in UK Polar Science Initiative (DiPSI) are promoted this month
Read more on Report on first phase of Diversity in UK Polar Science Initiative
20 July, 2021
The UK and Australia’s two new polar research ships get together off the coast of Falmouth during sea trials.
Read more on UK and Australian new polar research ships rendezvous on sea trials
24 May, 2021
British Antarctic Survey researchers will work on a new Horizon 2020 project to advance their understanding of polar processes in the global climate system. The CRiceS project, or Climate relevant …
Read more on New project to understand polar processes in global climate system
2 March, 2021
Rock lobsters may have lived further north in the past, and may be vulnerable to climate change in the future, according to a new study published this month (March 2021). …
13 January, 2021
Applications to carry out small-scale research projects in the Antarctic in the 2021/22 season are invited from UK-based researchers. The Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (CASS) provides fieldwork opportunities for scientists …
Read more on Opportunities for Antarctic research – Apply now
31 July, 2020
Scientists have found that studying high-resolution images of whales from space is a feasible way to estimate their populations. A team, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), compared satellite images …
12 June, 2020
The joint US/UK five-year programme to study the future contribution of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica to global sea-level rise – the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) – announces news …
Read more on Plans for International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration in response to COVID-19
4 May, 2020
As the world continues to work around lockdown, the EGU General Assembly 2020 will take place this week (4-8 May) online. The annual EGU (European Geosciences Union) meeting, which usually …
29 April, 2020
Two new research projects – in partnership with British Antarctic Survey engineers – will drill deeper than ever before in Antarctica and in space. The first project, called INCISED, is …
22 April, 2020
*Did you miss the live event on 22 April? The recording is now available to watch below, or on Youtube via: https://youtu.be/8r3xdrp5GGI* Online launch of The Song of the Ice …
20 February, 2020
A team led by British Antarctic Survey has just returned from the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, as the last of three expeditions to investigate the recovery of whales a …
17 January, 2020
British Antarctic Survey’s Twin Otter aircraft takes to the skies over Barbados as part of a major international research campaign to enhance understanding of the behaviour of clouds and their …
26 November, 2019
A new climate change artwork – Ice Floor, a new Phase 2 by Wayne Binitie, opens this week at Arup’s Fitzroy Street offices in London. The work was developed in …
Read more on Ice core inspired art installation opens in London
12 November, 2019
Applications for BAS PhD projects are now open for 2020 admission. There are currently over 100 PhD students associated with BAS, and nearly half of these students work full time …
17 October, 2019
A new technique for analysing satellite images may help scientists detect and count stranded whales from space. Researchers tested a new detection method using Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite images …
23 April, 2019
Scientists embark on a three-week flying campaign today (23 April) to study methane emissions from gas fields in the southern North Sea. Using specialised scientific equipment, on board one of …
Read more on Scientists to study methane emissions in North Sea
12 March, 2019 James France
Dr James France has just completed a week-long flying campaign using one of the BAS Twin Otters fitted with scientific instrumentation. Find out more about his experience.
12 March, 2019
A team of scientists set sail this week (12 March) for the remote South Atlantic islands of Tristan da Cunha and St Helena. This mission is part of BAS’ commitment …
Read more on Marine research expedition sets sail for the South Atlantic
26 February, 2019
A new Centre for Doctoral Training, involving researchers from British Antarctic Survey, will develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to address critical environmental challenges. Climate change and environmental hazards pose some …
Read more on Using AI to help tackle global environmental challenges
21 January, 2019
British Antarctic Survey scientist Professor Richard Phillips has been awarded funding to use newly developed radar-detecting tags to track the interactions between wandering albatrosses and fishing vessels in the South …
Read more on New funding uses seabirds as sentinels of South Atlantic
9 January, 2019
Applications to carry out small-scale research projects in the Antarctic in the 2019/20 season are invited from UK-based researchers. The Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (CASS) provides fieldwork opportunities for scientists …
Read more on Opportunities for Antarctic research – Apply now
29 August, 2018
UK scientists will join what could be the largest-scale Arctic research expedition ever planned when the German research ship, RV Polarstern, is deliberately lodged into sea ice to drift past …
Read more on BAS scientist joins research ship ‘drifting’ past North Pole
16 May, 2018
On Monday 14 May, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA) signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to provide a formal framework to joint scientific …
Read more on UK-Argentina science collaboration agreement signed
3 May, 2018
A new study involving scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) suggests for the first time that warm winds are creating large surface melting of ice shelves in Antarctica during the …
Read more on “Hairdryer winds” cause ice melt during Antarctic winter
30 April, 2018
A new UK-U.S. Antarctic research programme to improve the prediction of future sea-level rise is launched this week (Monday 30 April 2018) at British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Cambridge. The £20 …
Read more on Joint UK-U.S. Antarctic programme to study future sea level rise
26 April, 2018
A team of scientists on board the RRS James Clark Ross (JCR) has conducted marine biodiversity research around the Island of St Helena with a team of UK based and …
13 March, 2018
The yellow high-tech autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), affectionately known as Boaty McBoatface, has successfully returned from an ambitious science expedition deep below half a kilometre of ice. It is the …
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. …
Read more on Working together to make the Arctic more accessible for science
10 January, 2018
An international team of researchers, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), travels to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia this month (January) to carry out the first scientific whale survey …
Read more on Expedition to ‘health-check’ Southern Right Whales
4 December, 2017
Applications are invited for the Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (CASS) for Antarctic fieldwork in the 2018/19 field season. The closing date is 5th March 2018. CASS provides opportunities for UK-based …
Read more on Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme – Applications invited
22 September, 2017
For nearly 50 years, researchers have been stumped as to why sea shells from warm tropical waters are comparatively larger than their cold water relatives. New research, led by the …
Read more on Marine snails know how to budget their housing costs
We hire out our state-of-the-art conference and meeting facilities and exhibition spaces.
Find out more about the Aurora Collaboration Space memberships, and what we have to offer.
21 July, 2017
The new Aurora Innovation Centre that will support cross-discipline research to tackle environmental challenges and increase the real-world benefit of polar research was officially opened today (Friday 21 July) by …
Read more on Science Minister opens new Aurora Innovation Centre
5 July, 2017
Reporting this week (Wednesday 5 July) in the journal Nature, an international team of researchers led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) explains that wind-driven incursions of warm water forced the …
Read more on Study shows ice sheet loss over the last 11,000 years
29 June, 2017
Ice-free areas in Antarctica could expand by close to 25 per cent by 2100 and drastically change the biodiversity of the continent, research published this week in Nature has shown. …
Read more on Climate change may cause expansion to ice-free areas across Antarctica
20 June, 2017
Researchers have provided new evidence that large sub-glacial lakes existed under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the last glacial period – around 20,000 years ago – a period when …
Read more on Team discovers sub-glacial lake from over 20,000 years ago
19 June, 2017
The levels of microplastic particles accumulating in the Antarctic are much worse than expected, a team of experts has warned. The continent is considered to be a pristine wilderness compared …
Read more on Plastic pollution in the Antarctic worse than expected
25 April, 2017
The most comprehensive and high-resolution atlas of the seafloor of both Polar Regions is presented this week (Tuesday 25 April) at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly (EGU) in Vienna.
Read more on New atlas provides highest-resolution imagery of the Polar Regions seafloor
28 March, 2017
An international study involving scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has debunked the popular view that Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are in a much better environmental shape than the …
17 March, 2017
A new study reveals the sub-antarctic island of South Georgia – famous for its wildlife – was covered by a massive ice cap during the last ice age. The results …
Read more on Ice cap once covered sub-antarctic island of South Georgia
9 March, 2017 Mark Belchier
In this blog Dr Mark Belchier from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) explains why a team of experts visits King Edward Point biennially to carry out a survey of the fish …
21 February, 2017
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) recently captured this video footage of a huge crack in the Larsen C Ice Shelf, on the Antarctic Peninsula. Currently a huge iceberg, roughly the size …
31 January, 2017
Scientists from University of Manchester are preparing for the first ever UK-led meteorite hunting expedition to Antarctica, where they will seek out the ‘lost’ meteorites of the icy continent, which …
Read more on Expedition to uncover the ‘lost’ meteorites of Antarctica
20 December, 2016 Holly Winton
Our journey to the Antarctic Polar Plateau, where we will be spending the next few weeks as part of the ISOL-ICE research project, began on 7 December. We boarded a …
26 September, 2016
On 20 September 2016 the British Antarctic Survey ship, the RRS James Clark Ross, set sail on its long voyage from Immingham in the UK to Stanley in the Falkland …
15 September, 2016
ODA funds – expertise to address major challenges facing the developing world
Read more on Polar experts offer expertise to the developing world
27 June, 2016
New technologies and techniques used in a scientific study of the shells of oysters, mussels, clams and scallops reveal clues about how these commercially valuable species may fare in a changing world, and how discarded shells from the aquaculture industry could benefit the environment.
Research teams use phase-sensitive radars for determining ice shelf basal melt rates. Data is used to enhance climate models. The ApRES instruments yield time series of ice shelf thickness change …
31 May, 2016
International declaration marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
Read more on UK reaffirms commitment to protecting Antarctica
18 March, 2016
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) staff joined forces with building representatives from ISG, colleagues from neighbouring organisations and Cambridge University this week to mark an important milestone in the building of …
Read more on NEWS STORY: Milestone for new Innovation Centre
4 March, 2016 Thomas Barningham
Thomas Barningham from University of East Anglia shares his voyage and time at Halley Since my last post, a lot has happened – we have arrived and begun work at …
9 February, 2016
Application deadline approaches The deadline for applications from researchers to the Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme, CASS (formerly known as the Collaborative Gearing Scheme, CGS) is just under three weeks away, …
Read more on NEWS STORY: Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme
23 January, 2016
Scientists now have a new tool to investigate the deep structure of the least understood continent on Earth
Discover the UK’s national capability to support science from the air
21 October, 2015 Sian Henley
Find out about NERC Research Fellow Dr Sian Henley’s preparations for her fifth visit to Rothera Research Station and what she looks forward to onboard the RRS James Clark Ross.
Read more on GUEST BLOG: Ready for Antarctic trip number five!
Developing web-based applications to support scientific, operational and business objectives
Supporting near-shore marine biology
Halley VI Research Station, Brunt Ice Shelf, Antarctica