31 October, 2023
Polar science could reach new heights as researchers prepare to test the new Windracers ULTRA autonomous drone in Antarctica this season. A new, state-of-the-art autonomous drone capable of carrying a …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey unveils pilotless plane for testing in Antarctica
23 October, 2023
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in brown skua populations on Bird Island, South Georgia – the first known cases in the Antarctic region. Following reports of several …
Read more on First confirmed cases of Avian Influenza in the Antarctic region
23 October, 2023
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet will continue to increase its rate of melting over the rest of the century, no matter how much we reduce fossil fuel use, according to …
Read more on Increased West Antarctic Ice Sheet melting ‘unavoidable’
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 …
Read more on 2023-2024 field season begins for British Antarctic Survey
18 October, 2023
More than 200 scientists, including several from British Antarctic Survey (BAS), from 19 countries have released the first comprehensive assessment of trends in Southern Ocean ecosystems, in a report written …
18 October, 2023
The shortlist has been announced for The Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) Impact Awards 2023. Four BAS projects have made the shortlist and commended list, ranging from biodiversity and ecology …
17 October, 2023
Congratulations to our Estates and Facilities Team who have won the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management’s (IFWM) Impact Awards 2023 under the “Team of the Year: Public Sector” category. …
Read more on Estates and Facilities Team win prestigious award
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, …
5 October, 2023
British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Hamish Pritchard has won the 2023 Harry Otten Prize for Innovation in Meteorology. His idea, Lakes as snowfall sensors: solving the precipitation problem in the mountain …
Read more on Hamish Pritchard awarded Innovation in Meteorology Prize
26 September, 2023
New measurements of how the boundary between onshore glacier and floating ice shelf glides back-and- forth could help predict melting The grounding line of the southern Ronne Ice Shelf in …
Read more on Antarctica’s glacial border moves for miles with the tide
25 September, 2023
British Antarctic Survey scientists are called up for their expertise this season, in a series of documentaries on radio and television. Secrets of our Universe with Tim Peake, Channel 5 …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey on Radio & TV this Autumn
21 September, 2023
The melting of the supergiant iceberg A-68 had a huge impact on the ocean around South Georgia, in sub-Antarctica, and significantly changed the Southern Ocean’s temperature and saltiness, with potentially …
Read more on Supergiant iceberg makes surrounding ocean surface colder and less salty
13 September, 2023
ANTARCTICA – Following the calving of the A-81 iceberg at the end of January 2023, the Brunt Ice Shelf is moving faster than before. It is currently moving approximately 4 …
Read more on Brunt Ice Shelf speeds up after calving of giant iceberg
7 September, 2023
The government has announced today that the UK will join Horizon Europe under a new bespoke deal with the EU. View the government announcement at: UK joins Horizon Europe under a …
6 September, 2023
A new study of northern gannets has found that individual birds are left or right winged. The study, published in in Biology Letters, is the first to demonstrate ‘handedness’ in …
Read more on Left or right winged? Handedness in diving northern gannets
4 September, 2023
Scientists studying Arctic warming have shared new evidence that sea salt aerosols from “blowing snow” play a significant role in forming clouds that reflect solar radiation back to the Earth’s …
Read more on Clouds formed with sea salt contribute to Arctic warming
28 August, 2023
Climate change is affecting the vertical migration of zooplankton in the Arctic, with potential implications for the entire Arctic ecosystem, finds a new study, published today in Nature Climate Change. …
Read more on Retreating sea ice keeps zooplankton in the depths
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 …
Read more on Loss of sea ice causes catastrophic breeding failure for emperor penguins
22 August, 2023
An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) was deployed from the RRS Sir David Attenborough (SDA) for the first time last week. The Gavia Offshore Surveyor, named Freya, was deployed from the …
18 August, 2023
Today, hundreds of international scientists are sounding a clarion call for urgent expansion of Southern Ocean research in the emerging climate crisis. 300 scientists from 25 nations have been meeting …
17 August, 2023
Researchers from British Antarctic Survey are heading to the Canadian Arctic this week to learn more about the impacts of increasing ship traffic in Inuit Nunangat. In recent years, climate …
8 August, 2023
Extreme events in Antarctica such as ocean heatwaves and ice loss will almost certainly become more common and more severe, researchers say. With drastic action now needed to limit global …
Read more on New Antarctic extremes ‘virtually certain’ as world warms
3 August, 2023
Winter sea ice in the Antarctic is at a historic low, and scientists are working to understand why an area of ice the size of Greenland is missing. Scientists from …
28 July, 2023
Further trials are underway on RRS Sir David Attenborough in preparation for its first Antarctic science cruise. Over the coming weeks, the crew and scientists on board will be carrying …
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. …
14 July, 2023
The UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage CBE has travelled to the UK Arctic Research Station, where he will create new works inspired by the visit. While hosted at the UK …
Read more on Poet Laureate visits UK Arctic Research Station
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 …
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 …
Read more on DNA Detectives: New ways to spot Southern Ocean hitchhikers
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 …
Read more on Threatened sea birds visit plastic pollution hot spots
3 July, 2023
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) for the first time on the RRS Sir David Attenborough, as an alternative to conventional diesel fuel, as part of …
Read more on Trial of lower carbon alternative fuel begins on RRS Sir David Attenborough
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, …
27 June, 2023
Researchers have discovered a flesh-eating fish is in major decline – by looking at the stomach content of some of the world’s largest bird, albatrosses. The Patagonian Lamprey, Geotria macrostoma, …
Read more on Bird diet sampling helps uncover the lives of living fossils
27 June, 2023
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has achieved an Athena Swan Silver Award in recognition of efforts to advance the careers of women and underrepresented groups at the polar research institute in …
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
21 June, 2023
Today (21 June) marks the longest night in Antarctica and around 40 people will be celebrating Midwinter in British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) three winter stations: Rothera Research Station on the …
19 June, 2023
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), launches its new ten-year science strategy today (19 June) that addresses urgent scientific challenges facing our world, namely in the continents of the Arctic and …
Read more on Polar Science for a Sustainable Planet: new science strategy
15 June, 2023
Extreme space weather threatens vital satellites orbiting the Earth, including the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) which pass through the heart of the outer radiation belt. New research led by …
Read more on Scientists set out benchmarks for extreme space weather
12 June, 2023
Antarctic Bottom Water is the coldest, densest water mass on the planet and plays a pivotal role in regulating the ocean’s ability to store heat and capture carbon. In a …
Read more on Deep ocean waters in Antarctica are shrinking and warming
8 June, 2023
Dramatic changes in the Polar Regions are reflected in a new edition map of Antarctica and the Arctic produced by cartographers at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). The flagship printed …
5 June, 2023
British Antarctic Survey (BAS), an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), is one of the first public sector organisations to be recognised by the Carbon Trust for its …
Read more on Net zero ambitions achieve new standard through independent assessment
1 June, 2023
Concern is rising about tipping points in the Antarctic region. Recent heatwaves, changes in the Southern Ocean, and a reduction in the extent of Antarctic sea ice suggest that we …
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 …
Read more on Ground beneath Thwaites Glacier mapped for first time
30 May, 2023
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is shrinking, with many glaciers across the region retreating and melting at an alarming rate. However, this was not always the case according to new …
Read more on Rocks beneath Antarctic Ice Sheet reveal surprising past
22 May, 2023
Natural Environment Research Council’s pioneering Pushing the Frontiers scheme has funded four projects led by scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS). The projects, which received grants totaling £3.8m, are part …
Read more on BAS science funded by Pushing the Frontiers scheme
19 May, 2023
GeoMAP Antarctica, an open-access and comprehensive geological mapping database of Antarctica, was released today in Nature Scientific Data. Understanding Antarctica’s geosphere is, and has been, critical for understanding the continent’s …
Read more on New map unlocks deep digital data of Antarctica’s history
15 May, 2023
Shelled pteropods, commonly known as sea butterflies, are increasingly exposed to ocean changes, but some species are more vulnerable to this threat. In a new study, published this month (11 …
Read more on Sea butterfly life cycle threatened by climate change
13 May, 2023
Scientists are tracking a group of young black-browed albatross, who have begun their first epic journeys across the Southern Ocean. In April 2023, 26 young black-browed albatross on Bird Island …
Read more on Scientists track the epic flight of fledged albatross
12 May, 2023
Modernising Antarctic Infrastructure for Future Generations of Polar Scientists Specialist construction teams are travelling home to the UK after five months of work in Antarctica to modernise British Antarctic Survey …
11 May, 2023
The 2022/23 Antarctic field season has ended, marking the conclusion of another successful year of scientific exploration in one of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. This field season, …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey completes Antarctic field season
9 May, 2023
A tiny flightless midge which has colonised Antarctica’s Signy Island is driving fundamental changes to the island’s soil ecosystem. Research by experts at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in collaboration …
8 May, 2023
A series of studies on the Southern Ocean, which encircles Antarctica, reveal how it is changing. A special issue of the Journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, led by the …
21 April, 2023
Climate, biodiversity, and societal challenges are intrinsically linked and yet are usually viewed in isolation. A new review study, published in the journal Science this week (21st April 2023), focusses …
Read more on Tackling climate change and biodiversity loss together
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 …
Read more on Scientists named on TIME100 list for Antarctic research
3 April, 2023
A new scientific and operational support facility at Rothera Research Station for British Antarctic Survey has been made weathertight, with the cladding complete and an operations tower installed.
Read more on Exterior complete for new Antarctic science and operations facility
29 March, 2023
A new study led by researchers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) discovered microplastics in krill (Euphausia superba), a small shrimp-like crustacean, and salps (Salpa thompsoni), a gelatinous marine invertebrate. The …
Read more on Microplastic found in Antarctic krill and salps
21 March, 2023
A new study highlights how extreme snowfall events significantly alter the amount of ice lost by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. A team of scientists from British Antarctic Survey, along …
Read more on Extreme snowfall in West Antarctica driving sea-level rise
13 March, 2023
ANTARCTICA – 13 March 2023. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has released the first aerial pictures of the massive A81 iceberg that calved from the Brunt Ice Shelf in late January. …
Read more on First images of giant iceberg from Brunt Ice Shelf
28 February, 2023
Global challenges due to COVID-19 have impacted research, fieldwork, facilities and infrastructure in the polar regions, resulting in an accumulation of funded projects to be supported. NERC is committed to …
24 February, 2023
A new album inspired by the sounds of radio waves produced by a geomagnetic storm has been released. St Swithin’s Day Storm is a collaboration with Steven Anderson, known as …
15 February, 2023
The rapid retreat of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica appears to be driven by different processes under its floating ice shelf than researchers previously understood. Novel observations from where the …
Read more on New close-up view of melting beneath Thwaites Glacier
12 February, 2023
It is with deep sorrow we report the death of Emeritus Fellow, Professor David Vaughan. He was suffering from cancer and passed away peacefully at home on Thursday 9 February …
7 February, 2023
Scientists in East Antarctica drilling to find the Earth’s oldest ice have reached a key milestone after two months of fieldwork in sub-zero temperatures. The team is part of Beyond …
Read more on Oldest ice drilling campaign reaches key milestone
3 February, 2023
A team of scientists are currently conducting a major experiment over the Southern Ocean that will help to improve climate modelling. The Southern Ocean Clouds project team are performing several …
Read more on Flying campaign to improve climate modelling begins
2 February, 2023
Researchers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will develop new and ambitious ideas to tackle critical global environmental challenges, such as global sea-level rise from Antarctica, thanks to new funding. The …
Read more on New funding to predict future sea-level rise in Antarctica
31 January, 2023
The UK’s new polar ship RRS Sir David Attenborough begins its polar science trials in Antarctica this week. A team of 30 national and international scientists, engineers and technical staff …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough begins polar science trials
23 January, 2023
ANTARCTICA – 23 January 2023. A huge iceberg (1550 km²), almost the size of Greater London, has broken off the 150m thick Brunt Ice Shelf. It calved after cracks that …
Read more on Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica calves giant iceberg
20 January, 2023
Scientists have discovered a new emperor penguin colony in Antarctica using satellite mapping technology. This new colony makes a total of 62 known emperor penguin colonies around the coastline of …
19 January, 2023
A project studying the at-sea distributions of white-chinned petrels from South Georgia is now running for a second season – and early data suggest there are important differences in foraging …
Read more on Vulnerable seabirds tracking reveals foraging patterns
16 January, 2023
This week (17 January) British Antarctic Survey and WWF are inviting the public to become ‘walrus detectives’ and get involved in the Walrus from Space project to help with vital …
Read more on ‘Walrus detectives’ sought for conservation science
13 January, 2023
Congratulations to BAS staff who have been awarded a Polar Medal in the 2023 New Year’s Honours List for their scientific work or their technical support for science, in order …
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
22 December, 2022
Colleagues and collaborators from across the globe will celebrate the festive season together at British Antarctic Survey’s five research stations in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic, along with festivities onboard the …
20 December, 2022
An ambitious flying campaign out of British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Research Station over the Weddell Sea this month (December) aims to calibrate the data collected from two important satellites that …
Read more on Flying campaign to future-proof sea ice measurements
13 December, 2022
Nearly 60 scientists and support staff are on their way to Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. It’s part of an ambitious international effort to understand the glacier and surrounding ocean …
10 December, 2022
Babcock International’s Rosyth shipyard today has been awarded £45 million to maintain the UK’s fleet of three scientific research vessels – including RRS Sir David Attenborough. The three vessels are …
Read more on New refit yard announced for RRS Sir David Attenborough
7 December, 2022
Scientists return to East Antarctica this month (December) to locate the oldest ice on Earth. The team is part of an EU-funded research consortium from 10 European countries whose aim …
2 December, 2022
The next phase of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation programme (AIMP) is set to begin with a 6-month construction season at Rothera Research Station. The station is the UK’s largest Antarctic research and operations hub that supports leading researchers in frontier science in the region.
Read more on New season begins for Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation programme
2 December, 2022
A new album transporting listeners on a journey to the Sun and inspired by ‘sounds’ captured in space and on the ground shows the magic created when science and the …
Read more on ‘Sounds’ of the sun inspire an extraordinary new album
1 December, 2022
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is today celebrating 60 years of scientific research in Antarctica as the UK’s national operator on Antarctica Day (1 December). For the last six decades, the …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey celebrates its 60th anniversary on Antarctica Day
30 November, 2022
Global warming and ocean acidification are threatening marine organisms, such as corals, bryozoans, molluscs, sea urchins or crustaceans, that build their skeletons and shells with calcium carbonate (chalk) according to …
28 November, 2022
Over half of wandering albatrosses breeding on Bird Island, in the sub-Antarctic, encounter fishing vessels when feeding, putting them at risk of being accidentally caught or killed in fishing gear, …
Read more on Research shows ‘danger zones’ for wandering albatrosses
24 November, 2022
Today, 24 November 2022, marks World Walrus Day, and British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and WWF are inviting the British public to become ‘walrus detectives’ and get involved in their Walrus …
Read more on Calling for ‘Walrus Detectives’ on World Walrus Day
23 November, 2022
Scientists on a research vessel in Antarctica watched the front of a glacier disintegrate and their measurements ‘went off the scale’. As well as witnessing disruptions on the ocean surface, …
18 November, 2022
Today (18 November) British Antarctic Survey (BAS) joins global celebrations to mark LGBTQIA+ STEM DAY and Polar Pride Day. Polar Pride is a celebration of the contribution of LGBTQIA+ people in polar research …
17 November, 2022
Next generation fixed-wing drones, capable of operating autonomously beyond the standard visual line of sight, are creating datasets of major wildlife populations around South Georgia for long-term monitoring to aid …
Read more on Drones survey wildlife populations in remote Sub-Antarctic island
17 November, 2022
Britain’s new polar research ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, departs the UK next week (Tuesday 22 November) for its second voyage to Antarctica. The ship departs Harwich on 20 …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough departs for Antarctica
15 November, 2022
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will enable ships navigating in polar ocean conditions to be more efficient using a new route planning tool created by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) researchers. The tool …
7 November, 2022
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists will participate in the 27th session of the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP27), hosted by the Arab Republic of …
3 November, 2022
Our Antarctic field season has begun, with a challenging and ambitious range of projects to be delivered at five British Antarctic Survey (BAS) research stations and across the wider continent. …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey’s 2022-2023 field season begins
2 November, 2022
The British Antarctic Survey and its partners are launching a drawing competition for schools, to inspire the next generation of polar engineers, scientists and explorers. School children between the ages …
18 October, 2022
Satellites face greater chances of collision with space debris as a result of reduced density in the upper atmosphere. Increasing levels of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere will result in …
Read more on Climate change to increase lifetime of space pollution
14 October, 2022
Scientists have discovered one million year old marine DNA in deep-sea sediments of the Scotia Sea, north of the Antarctic continent. This is the oldest DNA recovered of this kind …
Read more on Oldest marine DNA discovered in Antarctic sediments
12 October, 2022
The amazing survival strategies of polar marine creatures might help to explain how the first animals on Earth could have evolved earlier than the oldest fossils suggest according to new …
Read more on Learning about the first animals from life at the poles
11 October, 2022
How much water the mountain glaciers of the Himalayas contain and how the mighty Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica will contribute to global sea-level rise form part of the final …
Read more on Glaciers in the spotlight on BBC’s Our Frozen Planet
5 October, 2022
Deep valleys buried under the seafloor of the North Sea record how the ancient ice sheets that used to cover the UK and Europe expelled water to stop themselves from …
Read more on Ice age valleys give clues to future ice sheet change
29 September, 2022
A new study, led by British Antarctic Survey and the University of Bristol, provides the first evidence that a controversial evolutionary process may be responsible for lanternfishes becoming one of …
Read more on Study hints at how fishes in the twilight zone evolved
23 September, 2022
In 2011, Frozen Planet gave BBC viewers an unprecedented insight into life in the Poles. The final episode featured British Antarctic Survey (BAS) glaciologist Dr Andy Smith using explosives to …
Read more on BBC’s Frozen Planet II: science into television
21 September, 2022
Pine Island Ice Shelf in West Antarctica, which holds back enough ice to raise sea levels by 0.5 metres, could be more vulnerable to complete disintegration than previously thought. A …
Read more on Scientists expose vulnerabilities of critical Antarctic ice shelf