We want to share news about our research and operational activities with as many people as possible around the world. We write and issue press releases and news stories. Browse our latest news here. If you are a journalist and would like to be added to our news distribution list please contact our Press Office.
Showing 834 items
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
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
20 September, 2022
Captain John Harper retires this month after a long and successful career at British Antarctic Survey (BAS). In fact, with an incredible 42 years of service, Captain Harper is the …
9 September, 2022
British Antarctic Survey Director Professor Dame Jane Francis today paid tribute to the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Professor Francis said: “We are deeply saddened by the death …
8 September, 2022
New equipment designed by British Antarctic Survey is helping scientists to study the impact of microplastics in the ocean. The Ocean Plastic Incubator Chamber (OPIC) exposes various types of plastics …
Read more on New kit enables study of microplastics in the ocean
5 September, 2022
New high resolution images of the the seafloor in West Antarctica show past retreat of Thwaites Glacier. They reveal that at times in its past, retreat of the massive Thwaites …
Read more on Seafloor images explain Thwaites Glacier retreat
4 September, 2022
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and RSPB are recruiting albatross detectives to help to search for wandering albatrosses in satellite images taken from space. This is to help us learn more …
Read more on Albatrosses from space: wildlife detectives needed!
23 August, 2022
RRS Sir David Attenborough begins its second leg of science trials this week (22 August 2022). Britain’s new polar ship will depart Belfast today for its second leg of science …
22 August, 2022
Scientists have unlocked the mysteries of how shark and ray species move up and down the ocean water column, in efforts to better understand them and protect their future. …
11 August, 2022
Scientists are flying research aircraft through the heart of Arctic storms this summer to better understand how weather systems are affecting polar sea ice. Arctic cyclones are the main type …
Read more on Arctic flights to shed light on sea ice and storms link
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 …
19 July, 2022
Scientists have reconstructed more than 60 million years of evolutionary history to reveal how penguins became oceanic birds. An international team of 40 researchers analysed the genomes – the complete …
18 July, 2022
This month (July 2022) a formal change in the leadership of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) takes place. Elen Jones joins British Antarctic Survey as the new AIMP Programme Director …
Read more on Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme – change in leadership
13 July, 2022
New factors are contributing to record-high temperatures and ice melt over the eastern Antarctic Peninsula and Larsen C Ice Shelf.
5 July, 2022
Today, Tuesday 5 July, the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) announced the designation of the entire landmass of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands …
27 June, 2022
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists will investigate critical challenges facing the UK, thanks to new funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). A £47m investment to several UK research …
14 June, 2022
Britain’s new polar research ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough, returns to the UK today (14 June) after completing its landmark maiden voyage to Antarctica. The ship departed the UK in …
11 June, 2022
Britain’s new polar research ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough, is centre-stage in a new gallery, ‘Poles Apart’, which opened today at the Royal Museums Greenwich National Maritime Museum. The exhibition …
10 June, 2022
A new Data Portal is being launched today by the British Antarctic Survey and the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI), which will help to enhance the management of one of the world’s largest Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
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.
27 May, 2022
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) field season has finished for another year. RRS Sir David Attenborough departed Rothera Research Station for the final time earlier in May and is …
19 May, 2022
The latest British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Antarctic Digital Database (ADD) data will be included in a world leading collection of geographic information.
9 May, 2022
Dr Andrew Kavanagh of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Space Weather team has supported a new National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) rocket experiment which aims to uncover unique features of our atmosphere that enable life on Earth.
4 May, 2022
The director of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Professor Dame Jane Francis has been awarded the prestigious Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (IBG) Patron’s Medal for contributions to earth and environmental sciences.
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
14 April, 2022
A new study by scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has used computer modelling to rank the factors responsible for the Larsen C ice shelf melt according to their severity.
Read more on Researchers identify biggest threats to Larsen C ice shelf
29 March, 2022
A £5m project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to investigate the complex changes seen in sea ice around the Antarctic begins this month (March 2022) as the …
Read more on Study underway as Antarctic sea ice extent at record level
28 March, 2022
British Antarctic Survey, as part of Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine. Please …
9 March, 2022
Looking for a new challenge? British Antarctic Survey has launched its latest recruitment campaign for a wide range of jobs in Antarctica for the 2022/23 Antarctic season. Antarctica is the …
9 March, 2022
East Antarctica is the least known region of Earth. Studying this remote part of the continent is extremely difficult, requiring researchers to look beneath kilometres of blanketing ice.
Read more on Scientists discover Antarctica’s hidden geological past
4 March, 2022
In late February, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Halley VI Research Station closed for the 2021/22 season. The season saw some major developments at the station, including several significant improvements and additions to its automated systems.
Read more on Automation in place at Halley VI Research Station
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
18 February, 2022
The first ice core drilling campaign of Beyond Epica-Oldest Ice has been successfully completed at the remote Little Dome C site in Antarctica – one of the most extreme places …
16 February, 2022
British Antarctic Survey has teamed up with the National Oceanography Centre and the University of Glasgow to champion the FindAScienceBerth project, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council. The project …
Read more on Connecting under-represented groups with science berths
11 February, 2022
RRS Sir David Attenborough (SDA) has collaborated with the cruise ship Le Commandant Charcot in its efforts to deliver critical science cargo to the English Coast, Antarctica in support of the …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough collaborates with cruise ship
9 February, 2022
Scientists have deployed a network of seismometers onto Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf in an experiment that will test the instrument’s ability to operate on icy moons in the Solar System. …
Read more on Antarctica as testing site ahead of mission to icy moons
8 February, 2022
New research papers from the one-year MOSAiC expedition to study the Arctic have yielded new understanding about the region. Hundreds of international researchers are currently analysing observations from the MOSAiC …
Read more on Deep insight into Arctic from MOSAiC expedition
7 February, 2022
A new study highlights there could be up to four times more fish in the mesopelagic, or ‘twilight’, zone of the Southern Ocean than previously thought. Scientists at British Antarctic …
Read more on More fish in ‘twilight zone’ than previously thought
31 January, 2022
Three British Antarctic Survey (BAS) staff have been awarded the Polar Medal. The announcement was published last week (Friday 28 January) in the London Gazette. Melody Clark is a molecular …
26 January, 2022
The first observations from the Diversity in UK Polar Science Initiative (DiPSI) describes the efforts required to create a more inclusive workplace in UK polar science. The editorial is published …
Read more on Creating a more inclusive workspace in UK polar science
19 January, 2022
Scientific labs at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in their Cambridge headquarters and at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica have achieved a sustainability award from the Laboratory Sustainability Efficiency Assessment (LEAF) …
Read more on Labs in Antarctica and Cambridge Receive Sustainability Award
14 January, 2022
The Royal Astronomical Society has awarded the 2022 Gold Medal for Geophysics to Professor Richard B Horne for his outstanding contributions to our understanding of the physics underlying space weather. …
Read more on BAS scientist awarded Gold Medal by Royal Astronomical Society
13 January, 2022
A new project to improve scientists understanding of the impact of space weather and climate change on the atmosphere starts this month (January 2022). A team from British Antarctic Survey, …
Read more on Grant to understand future impacts on atmospheric prediction
11 January, 2022
Applications to carry out small-scale research projects in the Antarctic in the 2022/23 season are invited from UK-based researchers. The Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (CASS) provides opportunities for scientists in …
Read more on Opportunities for Antarctic research – Apply now
10 January, 2022
The fossilised remains of Britain’s largest ichthyosaur, known as a ‘Sea Dragon’, has been discovered at the Rutland Water Nature Reserve, in the East Midlands. It is the biggest and …
Read more on BAS palaeontologist part of discovery of ‘sea dragon’ fossil
5 January, 2022
One hundred years on from the death of the famous polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, the UK’s new polar research ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough, will be exploring the very …
Read more on New polar research ship embodies ‘spirit of Shackleton’
23 December, 2021
2021 has been a rollercoaster year for British Antarctic Survey, operating research stations in the Antarctic and the sub-Antarctic through the Covid-19 pandemic, while our new polar research vessel, the …
20 December, 2021
Science and support teams from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are gearing up for the start of the Antarctic summer field season. All five of our research stations will be open …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey’s 2021-2022 field season is underway
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
14 December, 2021
Data collected from a long-term study by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists shows declining populations of an already relatively rare Antarctic seabird, the South Georgia shag. Published in the journal …
10 December, 2021
Applications for PhD projects with British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are now open for October 2022 admission. BAS currently supports over 100 PhD students, working on a huge variety of projects. …
Read more on PhD opportunities with British Antarctic Survey in 2022
7 December, 2021
A full trial assembly of a specialist air communications tower for a British Antarctic Research Station has been constructed this autumn in Scotland, ahead of its shipping to Antarctica this month. …
3 December, 2021
A rare total solar eclipse in Antarctica this weekend (Saturday 4 December) is giving researchers a unique opportunity to learn more about how solar eclipses affect space weather. The next …
Read more on Antarctica experiences rare total solar eclipse
30 November, 2021
The first campaign to drill Antarctica’s oldest ice starts this month (November). Beyond EPICA-Oldest Ice aims to drill an ice core to collect a record of past climate spanning 1.5 million years
29 November, 2021
The Polar Regions play a crucial role in balancing global climate – with the poles heating up much faster than the rest of the world. Yet, climate projections for these …
Read more on Improving climate projections in the Polar Regions
18 November, 2021
Today (18 November) British Antarctic Survey (BAS) joins global celebrations to mark LGBTQ+ STEM DAY and Polar Pride Day. Polar Pride is a celebration of the contribution of LGBTQ+ people …
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
29 October, 2021
Explore polar science and engineering from your home with the Ice Worlds Festival online resources. On the eve of the UN COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, British Antarctic Survey has …
Read more on Take part in Ice Worlds Festival and explore RRS Sir David Attenborough online
13 October, 2021
A network of international researchers launches a European collaboration this week ( 14 October 2021). This collaboration will train a new generation of scientists to understand how past climate changes …
Read more on DEEPICE: Network of young researchers to unveil past climate change in Antarctica
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 …
12 October, 2021
A consignment of AstraZeneca vaccines has been received by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Rothera Research Station in Antarctica – the furthest south any British Covid-19 vaccine has yet travelled. …
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 …
Read more on Immersive science-art exhibition opens at Glasgow Science Centre
28 September, 2021
The Arctic Station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard in Norway, the UK’s permanent Arctic research facility, celebrates its 30 years anniversary this week (Tuesday 28 September) as it continues to undertake critical …
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
9 September, 2021
Spectacular ice age landscapes beneath the North Sea have been discovered using 3D seismic reflection technology. Similar to MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) the images reveal in unprecedented detail huge seafloor …
Read more on ‘MRI’ scan reveals spectacular ice age landscapes beneath the North Sea
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
19 August, 2021
After 30 years of service with British Antarctic Survey the RRS James Clark Ross has been sold to the Ukrainian National Antarctic Scientific Centre. This is the second time that …
17 August, 2021
Warming water and receding sea ice in the Western Antarctic Peninsula is changing the local plankton community with potential consequences for climate change, according to an international team of researchers. …
Read more on Warming Western Antarctic Peninsula waters impact plankton community
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
9 August, 2021
CAMBRIDGE: British Antarctic Survey welcomes the publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group 1 component of its Sixth Assessment Report. This assessment brings together the latest advances in …
Read more on IPCC: Polar scientists welcome Climate Change Assessment
4 August, 2021
Plastic pollution combined with ocean acidification hinders the development of Antarctic krill in the Southern Ocean, research published today (4 August 2021) in Marine Frontiers reveals. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) …
Read more on Plastic pollution and ocean acidification reduce Antarctic krill development
3 August, 2021
British Antarctic Survey scientists have contributed to a new study published today (3 August) which provides valuable new data highlighting how emperor penguins extinction risk is increased due to rapid …
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
12 July, 2021
The 40-year-old mystery of what causes Jupiter’s X-ray auroras has been solved. For the first time, scientists have seen the entire mechanism at work – and it could be a …
Read more on Mystery of what causes Jupiter’s X-ray auroras is solved
10 July, 2021
The teams in Antarctica show their support to the England football team in advance of this Sunday’s final.
Read more on Antarctic teams send best wishes to England football team
2 July, 2021
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), and international collaborators have this week published the first detailed research on the sounds made by southern right …
Read more on Acoustic research sheds new light on whale sounds
1 July, 2021
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has today (1 July 2021) recognised a new record high temperature for the Antarctic continent of 18.3° Celsius on 6 February 2020 at the Esperanza …
Read more on New verified temperature record for Antarctic continent
30 June, 2021
The RRS Sir David Attenborough (SDA) is getting ready for its next round of sea trials. This is an important part of the preparations for the ship’s first Antarctic mission. The …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough getting ready for next phase of sea trials
29 June, 2021
Immersive science-art ice core research exhibition to be displayed at Glasgow Science Centre during COP26
Read more on Polar Zero: visual arts take centre stage at COP26
21 June, 2021
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is celebrating Midwinter’s Day (Monday 21 June) as staff in three British Antarctic Territory Research Stations mark the shortest and darkest day of the year on the frozen continent. The tradition began in …
15 June, 2021
As governments convene for the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) June 14–24, 2021, an Expert Working Group1 of leading Antarctic scientists warns that climate change is pushing this remote …
Read more on Leading scientists warn of global impacts as Antarctic nears tipping points
11 June, 2021
For decades, the ice shelf helping to hold back one of the fastest-moving glaciers in Antarctica – Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica – has gradually thinned. Analysis of satellite …
Read more on Antarctic glacier is ripping apart at ice front, causing it to gain speed
10 June, 2021
A workshop report published today (10 June) by 50 of the world’s leading biodiversity and climate experts states that unprecedented changes in climate and biodiversity, driven by human activities, have …
Read more on World’s experts report on tackling biodiversity and climate change
7 June, 2021
Scientists have conducted the first population study of penguins, seals and albatross using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones on the subantarctic South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands to …
Read more on An eye in the sky: monitoring animal colonies using drones in the subantarctic
4 June, 2021
A study of two alternative methods for reconstructing ancient temperatures has given climate researchers a better understanding of how cold it was in Antarctica during the last Ice Age, around …
28 May, 2021
This summer, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will be an official partner for the Good Business Festival youth programme in the Liverpool City Region. BAS already has an important connection with the area – Britain’s new polar ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough …
Read more on British Antarctic Survey partners with The Good Business Festival Youth Programme
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
21 May, 2021
An enormous iceberg has calved from the western side of the Ronne Ice Shelf, in Antarctica. The iceberg, newly named A-76, measures around 4320 sq km in size and is …
19 April, 2021
For the first time, researchers have collected data from underneath the remote Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica using an underwater robot.
Read more on Underwater robot reveals how Thwaites Glacier is melting
19 April, 2021
The mission to determine the impact of the giant A-68a iceberg on the important marine ecosystem of sub-Antarctic South Georgia is a success.
29 March, 2021
The RRS James Clark Ross arrived in Harwich yesterday, completing its final season with British Antarctic Survey. After 30 years of service, the ship will soon be sold. The ship …
Read more on Antarctic homecoming – RRS James Clark Ross arrives in Harwich for the final time
23 March, 2021
Construction expert BAM Nuttall, with design consultants Sweco, have won a tender for a new 10-year partnership to take forward an ambitious programme to modernise the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) …
Read more on BAM Nuttall and Sweco in new partnership to upgrade Antarctic Research Stations
19 March, 2021
A specialist construction team is making the 11,000km journey home to the UK after successfully completing the groundworks for a new state-of-the-art polar research building at British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) …
Read more on Antarctic Science Hub Takes Shape Amid Complex Construction Season
18 March, 2021
CAMBRIDGE: British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is today notifying the UK marine polar research community of its intention to re-schedule RRS Sir David Attenborough’s (SDA) ice trials, science capability and equipment …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough – COVID impacts on ship into service timeline
15 March, 2021
A new unmanned robotic vehicle on the RRS Sir David Attenborough will help scientists to understand the impact of glaciers on sea-level rise.
Read more on New autonomous robotic for RRS Sir David Attenborough
10 March, 2021
For the first time, an international team of scientists has used satellite magnetic data from ESA’s Swarm mission, together with aeromagnetic data, to help reveal the mysteries of the geology …
Read more on Antarctica’s magnetic link to ancient neighbours
8 March, 2021
On International Women’s Day (8 March 2021), we mark and celebrate women working at British Antarctic Survey (BAS). We showcase the diversity of roles and specialities of those working in …