Dr. Kevin A. Hughes is the Environmental Research and Monitoring Manager at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).  He is a member of the UK Delegation to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and was a former Vice-Chair of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) and Convenor of the Subsidiary Group on Climate Change Response (SGCCR).  He is currently co-chair of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Scientific Research Programme ‘Integrated science to inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation’ (Ant-ICON) research theme ‘Human impacts and sustainability’.  Within the context of the Antarctic, he has broad science and policy interests including conservation, geological heritage, area protection, non-native species, environmental impact assessment, environmental monitoring and the expansion of human footprint. He has visited the polar regions 11 times, including one Antarctic winter.

• Lee, J., Hughes, K., & Convey, P. (2025). Non-native species introduced to Antarctica, 1911-2023 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/afeb9f5e-bd69-4e3d-9d50-e935134f4c78

• Clarke, A., Hughes, K., Phillips, R., Venables, H., Fisher, A., Beaumont, J., Bolton, E., Chapman, A., Clark, M., Collins, C., Duggan, S., Fenton, M., Geissler, P., Hall, R., Heiser, S., Hinde, S., King, M., Loines, J., Mann, P., … Waring, Z. (2024). Rothera wildlife sightings 1998 to 2021 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/4d3b48df-a85f-415f-bef8-9c213816b0d2

1. Creating Standards for Climate Experiments

   Eco-ICE studies whether making Arctic sea ice thicker could harm ocean life and creates tools to help decision-makers work out if climate projects are safe.

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2. The Sustainable Flag Project

   The field department have estimate the use of 400 flags on station with ~ 1,000 flags deployed into the field each year. We have conducted a preliminary trial by testing different material types (cotton canvas and Ventile) at select sites around Rothera.

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3. Skua monitoring at Rothera

   Long-term monitoring helps scientists understand how wildlife responds to environmental changes. Skuas are top predators, so their breeding success reflect wider ecosystem conditions.

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4. Impact of Plastic in the Polar Regions

   This project investigated plastic pollution across Arctic and Antarctic environments. Scientists collected water, ice, and sediment samples to quantify macro and microplastic pollution, track its sources, and assess its impact on polar wildlife.

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5. Using an Antarctic fungus as a wintertime biopesticide

   This project investigated whether Mortierella, a cold-tolerant Antarctic soil fungus, could replace banned chemical pesticides in controlling weevil larvae that damage UK soft fruit and forestry crops.

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6. Changing biodiversity

   Baseline study to monitor how marine biodiversity will respond to climate change

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1. BAS shortlisted for NERC’s 2023 Impact Awards

   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 to space weather.

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2. Predicting non-native ‘invasions’ in Antarctica

   A new study identifies the non-native species most likely to ‘invade’ the Antarctic Peninsula region over the next decade. It provides a baseline for all operators in the region to […]

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3. Seabird populations on Antarctic Peninsula unexpected

   Results of a new study on Antarctic seabirds shows a larger percentage of their populations inhabit important nesting sites around Ryder Bay, close to British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Station than […]

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4. NEWS STORY: Antarctic Treaty System

   ATCM XXXVI Press Communique From 20th to 29th May 2013, Belgium hosted the XXXVI Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the XVI meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP). The […]

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5. NEWS STORY: Antarctic conservation issues

   Challenges facing the future of Antarctica A century ago, Antarctica was one of Earth’s last frontiers, but now the continent is under threat from human activity. An international team of […]

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