Our publications

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At‑sea distribution of marine predators around South Georgia during austral winter, with implications for fisheries management

18 May, 2024 by Alastair Wilson, Claire Waluda, Kate Owen, Martin Collins, Meghan Goggins, Philip Hollyman, Philip Trathan

The sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia is surrounded by highly productive waters, supporting dense aggregations of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), a vital food source for globally important seabird and marine…

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Overview, Progress and Next Steps for Our Understanding of the Near-Earth Space Radiation and Plasma Environment: Science and Applications

15 May, 2024 by Richard Horne, Sarah Glauert

The Near-Earth Space Radiation and Plasma Environment falls within the realm of G3 Cluster (G3 refers to ‘Near-Earth Radiation and Plasma Environment’ of the ‘Coupled Geospace System’) under the COSPAR…

Read more on Overview, Progress and Next Steps for Our Understanding of the Near-Earth Space Radiation and Plasma Environment: Science and Applications

Using a common morphometric-based method to sex a migratory bird along its entire flyway despite geographical and temporal variations in body size and sexual size dimorphism

9 May, 2024 by Andrew Wood

Sexing bird species with monomorphic plumage is generally challenging, and sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is often used to develop morphometric-based sexing tools, e.g., using discriminant functions. Within species, local selection…

Read more on Using a common morphometric-based method to sex a migratory bird along its entire flyway despite geographical and temporal variations in body size and sexual size dimorphism

Seafloor geomorphology of the Wrigley Gulf shelf, Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, reveals two different phases of glaciation

7 May, 2024 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand

Knowledge of the behaviour of marine-based ice sheets during times of climatic warming, such as the last deglaciation, provides important information to understand how ice sheets respond to external forcing.…

Read more on Seafloor geomorphology of the Wrigley Gulf shelf, Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, reveals two different phases of glaciation

A comparative study of tissue protein synthesis rates in an Antarctic, Harpagifer antarcticus and a temperate, Lipophrys pholis teleost

6 May, 2024 by Andrew Clarke, Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark

The affect of temperature on tissue protein synthesis rates has been reported in temperate and tropical, but not Antarctic fishes. Previous studies have generally demonstrated low growth rates in Antarctic…

Read more on A comparative study of tissue protein synthesis rates in an Antarctic, Harpagifer antarcticus and a temperate, Lipophrys pholis teleost

When ice and sea are not barriers for flies: First report of Trichocera maculipennis (Diptera) in South America

1 May, 2024 by Peter Convey

1. During the 2022/2023 austral winter, large swarms of Trichocera (Saltrichocera) maculipennis Meigen, 1818 (Diptera: Trichoceridae), were observed around house roofs in Puerto Williams (Navarino Island, southern Chile, 54° S). In…

Read more on When ice and sea are not barriers for flies: First report of Trichocera maculipennis (Diptera) in South America

Updating requirements for Endangered, Threatened and Protected species MSC Fisheries Standard v3.0 to operationalise best practices

1 May, 2024 by Richard Phillips

Bycatch in fisheries is a key threat to non-target marine species, particularly for those species that have life histories with low productivity or poor conservation status. In this paper, the…

Read more on Updating requirements for Endangered, Threatened and Protected species MSC Fisheries Standard v3.0 to operationalise best practices

Adapting the Marine Stewardship Council risk-based framework to estimate impacts on seabirds, marine mammals, marine turtles and sea snakes

1 May, 2024 by Richard Phillips

Information available on impacts of fisheries on target or bycatch species varies greatly, requiring development of risk assessment tools to determine potentially unacceptable levels. Seabirds, marine mammals, marine turtles and…

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Biogeographical and seasonal distribution of pteropod populations in the Western and Central Mediterranean Sea inferred from sediment traps

26 April, 2024 by Clara Manno

Pteropods are a group of cosmopolitan holoplanktic gastropods that produce an aragonite shell and play an important role in both marine ecosystems and geochemical cycles. In addition to being affected…

Read more on Biogeographical and seasonal distribution of pteropod populations in the Western and Central Mediterranean Sea inferred from sediment traps

Pathogenic potential of an environmental Aspergillus fumigatus strain recovered from soil of Pygoscelis papua (Gentoo Penguins) colony in Antarctica

23 April, 2024 by Peter Convey

Aspergillus fumigatus is a common opportunistic pathogen in different animals, including birds such as penguins. For the first time, a fungal strain identified as A. fumigatus was isolated from soil…

Read more on Pathogenic potential of an environmental Aspergillus fumigatus strain recovered from soil of Pygoscelis papua (Gentoo Penguins) colony in Antarctica

Long‐Term Variability and Tendencies in Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Winds From Meteor Radar Observations Over Esrange (67.9°N, 21.1°E)

16 April, 2024 by Ramesh Karanam, Tracy Moffat-Griffin

Long-term variabilities of monthly zonal (U) and meridional winds (V) in northern polar mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT, ∼80–100 km) are investigated using meteor radar observations during 1999–2022 over Esrange…

Read more on Long‐Term Variability and Tendencies in Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Winds From Meteor Radar Observations Over Esrange (67.9°N, 21.1°E)

Long-term Variability and Tendencies in Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Winds from Meteor Radar Observations Over Esrange (67.9°N, 21.1°E)

16 April, 2024 by Ramesh Karanam, Tracy Moffat-Griffin

Long-term variabilities of monthly zonal (U) and meridional winds (V) in northern polar mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT, ∼80–100 km) are investigated using meteor radar observations during 1999–2022 over Esrange…

Read more on Long-term Variability and Tendencies in Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Winds from Meteor Radar Observations Over Esrange (67.9°N, 21.1°E)

Unexpectedly uneven distribution of functional trade-offs explains cranial morphological diversity in carnivores

16 April, 2024 by Marie Attard

Functional trade-offs can affect patterns of morphological and ecological evolution as well as the magnitude of morphological changes through evolutionary time. Using morpho-functional landscape modelling on the cranium of 132…

Read more on Unexpectedly uneven distribution of functional trade-offs explains cranial morphological diversity in carnivores

Top predator feeding ecology and microplastic (MP) contamination on the far eastern South American coast: Evidence of MP trophic biotransfer

5 April, 2024 by Simon Morley

This study describes the feeding ecology, spatial distribution of each ontogenetic phase and the corresponding plastic debris contamination, in the Caribbean sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon porosus as a function of spatial-temporal…

Read more on Top predator feeding ecology and microplastic (MP) contamination on the far eastern South American coast: Evidence of MP trophic biotransfer

Intraguild predation in pinnipeds: Southern sea lions prey upon adult female South American fur seals in the Falkland Islands

1 April, 2024 by Kayleigh Jones

Intraguild predation, where a dominant predator kills and consumes a subordinate predator that is a potential competitor, is taxonomically and geographically widespread among mammalian carnivores (Palomares & Caro, 1999; Polis…

Read more on Intraguild predation in pinnipeds: Southern sea lions prey upon adult female South American fur seals in the Falkland Islands

Detection of plastic, cellulosic micro-fragments and microfibers in Laternula elliptica from King George Island (Maritime Antarctica)

1 April, 2024 by Simon Morley

It is generally acknowledged that microplastic pollutants are prevalent in ocean waters and sediments across a range of tropical, temperate, subpolar, and polar regions. The waters surrounding King George Island…

Read more on Detection of plastic, cellulosic micro-fragments and microfibers in Laternula elliptica from King George Island (Maritime Antarctica)

Testing the resilience, physiological plasticity and mechanisms underlying upper temperature limits of Antarctic marine ecto-therms

29 March, 2024 by Elaine Fitzcharles, Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark, Rebecca Smith, Rose Stainthorp, Simon Morley

Antarctic marine ectotherms live in the constant cold and are characterised by limited resilience to elevated temperature. Here we tested three of the central paradigms underlying this resilience. Firstly, we…

Read more on Testing the resilience, physiological plasticity and mechanisms underlying upper temperature limits of Antarctic marine ecto-therms

Synchronous timing of return to breeding sites in a long-distance migratory seabird with ocean-scale variation in migration schedules

22 March, 2024 by Richard Phillips

Background Migratory birds generally have tightly scheduled annual cycles, in which delays can have carry-over effects on the timing of later events, ultimately impacting reproductive output. Whether temporal carry-over effects…

Read more on Synchronous timing of return to breeding sites in a long-distance migratory seabird with ocean-scale variation in migration schedules

The challenge to understand the zoo of particle transport regimes during resonant wave-particle interactions for given survey-mode wave spectra

13 March, 2024 by Nigel Meredith

Quasilinear theories have been shown to well describe a range of transport phenomena in magnetospheric, space, astrophysical and laboratory plasma “weak turbulence” scenarios. It is well known that the resonant…

Read more on The challenge to understand the zoo of particle transport regimes during resonant wave-particle interactions for given survey-mode wave spectra

Advances in remote sensing of emperor penguins: first multi-year time series documenting trends in the global population

13 March, 2024 by Philip Trathan, Peter Fretwell

Like many polar animals, emperor penguin populations are challenging to monitor because of the species' life history and remoteness. Consequently, it has been difficult to establish its global status, a…

Read more on Advances in remote sensing of emperor penguins: first multi-year time series documenting trends in the global population

A framework for estimating the anthropogenic part of Antarctica’s sea level contribution in a synthetic setting

11 March, 2024 by Alexander Bradley, Rosie Williams, David Bett, Paul Holland, Robert Arthern

The relative contributions of anthropogenic climate change and internal variability in sea level rise from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet are yet to be determined. Even the way to address…

Read more on A framework for estimating the anthropogenic part of Antarctica’s sea level contribution in a synthetic setting

Observing change in pelagic animals as sampling methods shift: the case of Antarctic krill

8 March, 2024 by Alison Cleary, Anna Belcher, Cecilia Liszka, Eugene Murphy, Geraint Tarling, Jaume Forcada, Nadine Johnston, Philip Trathan, Ryan Saunders, Simeon Hill, Sophie Fielding

Understanding and managing the response of marine ecosystems to human pressures including climate change requires reliable large-scale and multi-decadal information on the state of key populations. These populations include the…

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A comparison of two statistical postprocessing methods for heavy‐precipitation forecasts over India during the summer monsoon

6 March, 2024 by Andrew Orr

Accurate ensemble forecasts of heavy precipitation in India are vital for many applications and essential for early warning of damaging flood events, especially during the monsoon season. In this study…

Read more on A comparison of two statistical postprocessing methods for heavy‐precipitation forecasts over India during the summer monsoon

Diesel−biodegradation and biosurfactant−production by Janthinobacterium lividum AQ5-29 and Pseudomonas fildesensis AQ5-41 isolated from Antarctic soil

1 March, 2024 by Peter Convey

Given the substantial diesel demand in Antarctic operations, the means of addressing ecological restoration following its inappropriate release are attracting attention from researchers. The Madrid Protocol mandates the use of…

Read more on Diesel−biodegradation and biosurfactant−production by Janthinobacterium lividum AQ5-29 and Pseudomonas fildesensis AQ5-41 isolated from Antarctic soil

Chorus wave power at the strong diffusion limit overcomes electron losses due to strong diffusion

27 February, 2024 by Richard Horne, Sarah Glauert, Thomas Daggitt

Earth’s radiation belts consist of high-energy charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. Strong pitch angle diffusion of electrons caused by wave-particle interaction in Earth’s radiation belts has primarily been…

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Synchronous retreat of Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers in response to external forcings in the presatellite era

26 February, 2024 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith, James Kirkham, Kelly Hogan, Robert Larter

Today, relatively warm Circumpolar Deep Water is melting Thwaites Glacier at the base of its ice shelf and at the grounding zone, contributing to significant ice retreat. Accelerating ice loss…

Read more on Synchronous retreat of Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers in response to external forcings in the presatellite era

Fungal and fungal-like diversity present in ornithogenically influenced maritime Antarctic soils assessed using metabarcoding

22 February, 2024 by Peter Convey

We assessed soil fungal and fungal-like diversity using metabarcoding in ornithogenically influenced soils around nests of the bird species Phalacrocorax atriceps, Macronectes giganteus, Pygoscelis antarcticus, and Pygoscelis adelie on the…

Read more on Fungal and fungal-like diversity present in ornithogenically influenced maritime Antarctic soils assessed using metabarcoding

Southward migration of the zero-degree isotherm latitude over the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula: cryospheric, biotic and societal implications

20 February, 2024 by Lloyd Peck

The seasonal movement of the zero-degree isotherm across the Southern Ocean and Antarctic Peninsula drives major changes in the physical and biological processes around maritime Antarctica. These include spatial and…

Read more on Southward migration of the zero-degree isotherm latitude over the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula: cryospheric, biotic and societal implications

Source variations in volatile contents of Bransfield Strait back-arc and Phoenix/West Scotia mid-ocean ridge lavas, northern Antarctic Peninsula

20 February, 2024 by Teal Riley

We present the first volatile contents (H2O, CO2, Cl, F, S) of young (< 6 Ma) submarine basaltic glasses from the Phoenix and West Scotia mid-ocean ridges and the Bransfield Strait…

Read more on Source variations in volatile contents of Bransfield Strait back-arc and Phoenix/West Scotia mid-ocean ridge lavas, northern Antarctic Peninsula