South Georgia Pelagic Biodiversity
The South Georgia Pelagic Biodiversity project is a Darwin-funded project, led by BAS, and in partnership with the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) and the …
Marine ecosystems
Understanding Antarctic and Arctic marine ecosystems by exploring biodiversity and resilience to environmental change is critical for making policy decisions that will lead to effective stewardship and sustainable management of marine resources. This strand of research combines existing long-term data with new field-based and experimental observations to explore the impact of environmental change on marine ecosystems.
KANG-GLAC
The Greenland Ice Sheet is decaying at an accelerating rate in response to climate change. Warm ocean waters moving through the fjords eventually meet the faces of marine-terminating glaciers, increasing …
Safeguarding Antarctic krill stocks for baleen whales
This Darwin Plus funded project aims to improve our understanding of how Antarctic krill, foraging whales and the krill fishery interact in space and time, to improve krill fishery management …
HEXPLORES
The HEXPLORES project aims to explore for active hydrothermal vents in the Red Sea Rift. Although the Red Sea Rift hosts the world’s largest submarine metalliferous sulphide deposit, no active …
Winter Krill at South Georgia
The Winter Krill project is a Darwin Plus project, funded by Defra, and its activities are focussed on South Georgia (SG), which is part of the UK Overseas Territory (OT) …
Spatial Segregation of Seabirds at South Georgia
Seabirds are amongst the most globally threatened birds, often as a consequence of incidental mortality (bycatch) in fisheries [1] [2]. At South Georgia, wandering albatrosses have declined since the 1970s [3], and are listed …
Black-browed Albatross Juvenile Tracking
Until the last decade, South Georgia held the third largest population of black-browed albatrosses at any island group (Phillips et al. 2016) [4]. However, assuming trends at surveyed sites are …
CUPIDO
CUPIDO aims to address: what is the role of zooplankton in promoting the transport of plastic in the ocean?
and how this plastic transport interferes with zooplankton’s ability to store carbon in the deep ocean?
Chinstrap Penguin Tracking
The commercial fishery for Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) operates in the southwest Atlantic, in particular along the west Antarctic Peninsula, and over the shelf breaks of the South Shetland Islands, …
Bycatch risk of wandering albatrosses from radar detection
Wandering albatrosses are threatened by bycatch. Populations at South Georgia have declined catastrophically since the 1960s due to incidental mortality (bycatch) in fisheries (Pardo et al. 2017) [1]. This led …
Gentoo Penguin Tracking
A fishery for Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) operates over the shelf breaks of the South Orkney, South Shetland and South Georgia archipelagos [8]. Krill is an important food source for …
Grey-headed Albatross Juvenile Tracking
The grey-headed albatross is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because of a decline since the 1970s of the largest global breeding population, which is …
Larsen-C Benthos
On 12 July 2017, the Larsen-C Ice Shelf calved one of the largest iceberg originating from the Antarctic Peninsula ever recorded. As iceberg A68 moves north, it leaves behind an …
Higher Predators – Signy Island – Penguin monitoring
Three species of penguin breed on Signy Island: Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua). These species have contrasting breeding and foraging strategies and …
Higher Predators – Bird Island – Penguin monitoring
Two species of penguin breed on Bird Island: macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) and gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua). These species have contrasting breeding and foraging strategies and ranging behaviour. Gentoo penguins …
Higher Predators – Bird Island – Albatrosses and giant petrel monitoring
Four species of albatross breed in large numbers on Bird Island: wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans), black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), grey-headed albatross (T. chrysostoma) and light-mantled albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata). Although all …
Modelling Movement of Antarctic Krill
The MMAK project is using state-of-the-art ocean-sea ice models to improve our understanding of processes that influence the distribution of krill in the South Orkney Islands region.
Higher Predators – Long-Term Science
The British Antarctic Survey carries out Long Term Science that measures changes in Antarctic ecosystems and seeks to understand the underlying drivers and processes. Marine predators are sensitive to changes …
Impact of Plastic in the Polar Regions
An estimated 75% of all the litter in our oceans is plastic, and around 5 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the ocean annually. Scientific observations of a significant concentration …
National Capability for Global Challenges
Polar Expertise – Supporting Development
Data As Art
DATA AS ART is an ongoing science & art project in development at NERC’s British Antarctic Survey (BAS). It visualises science data (in its widest definition), to create stunning and …
POETS-WCB
The main deliverable of the Western Core Box (WCB) is a consistent unique time series of mesoscale distribution and abundance of macro-zooplankton and micronekton, and an understanding of the physical …
SO-AntEco Biodiversity
In this collaboration with the Natural History Museum (NHM) and the University of Liverpool, we have developed novel methods for using existing data to contribute to marine conservation and fisheries …
A new polar research ship for Britain: project delivery
A new research platform to put UK scientists at the forefront of polar science
Continuous Plankton Recorder
Contemporary research has shown that the Southern Ocean is warming. Summer surface temperatures have risen by more than 1 degree Centigrade in the last 80 years and a strong upper-layer …
Krill Hotspots
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are a key component of the food chain throughout much of the Southern Ocean. These small, shrimp-like animals occur in dense swarms, but their distribution is …
White-chinned Petrel Tracking
The white-chinned petrel is the most common bird species recorded as fisheries bycatch in the Southern Ocean [1]. Although currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, limited population trend data …
Oceanographic models for the Scotia Sea
Development of regional models to examine the detailed oceanography of island shelves and surrounding regions.
SO-AntEco
The South Orkney Islands is a small archipelago located in the Southern Ocean, 375 miles north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The seafloor around the South Orkney Islands …
The Heated Settlement Panels
How will life and biodiversity on Earth will respond to climate change? This information is particularly urgent for the waters along the Antarctic Peninsula, which are experiencing rapid regional climate …
EC Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service
The Copernicus marine environment monitoring service provides regular and systematic reference information on the state of the physical oceans and regional seas. The observations and forecasts produced by the service …
CACHE-ITN
Pushing forward our understanding of calcium production in the marine environment
SONA
The Southern Ocean Network of Acoustics (SONA) represents a group of scientific institutes and industrial partners who have united to measure an under-sampled component of the ecosystem – the mid-trophic …
ASCCC
The ASCCC Project has been funded by ACE (Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition) to investigate, quantify and understand the role of polar and subpolar seabeds in the carbon cycle, particularly in response …
Antarctic tipping points
1 June, 2023
Concern is rising about tipping points in the Antarctic region (Armstrong et al., 2022). Recent heatwaves, changes in the Southern Ocean, and a reduction in the extent of Antarctic sea …
The Southern Ocean: Source and sink?
1 January, 2011
A living and changing Antarctic
1 January, 2011
Organisms and responses to environmental change
1 January, 2011
Plant-associated Microbial Communities
1 January, 2010
Empowering marine science through genomics
1 January, 2008
Adaptation and evolution
1 January, 2007
Molecular ecology and evolution of slope species
1 January, 2003
On the plausibility of a UV transparent biochemistry
1 January, 2002
Tackling climate change and biodiversity loss together
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 …
Microplastic found in Antarctic krill and salps
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 …
Drones survey wildlife populations in remote Sub-Antarctic island
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 …
Learning about the first animals from life at the poles
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 …
New kit enables study of microplastics in the ocean
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 …
New resource for Marine Protected Areas
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).
Whale images aid crucial research
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.
Scientists reveal growth limits of Antarctic fish
10 March, 2022
New research shows the slow growth in Antarctic fish is linked to problems making proteins.
More fish in ‘twilight zone’ than previously thought
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 …
Invasive species ‘hitchhiking’ on ships threaten Antarctica’s unique ecosystems
10 January, 2022
Marine life hitching a ride on ocean-crossing ships poses a threat to Antarctica’s pristine ecosystems, with the potential for invasive species to arrive from almost anywhere across the globe, say …
Warming Western Antarctic Peninsula waters impact plankton community
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. …
UK and Australian new polar research ships rendezvous on sea trials
20 July, 2021
The UK and Australia’s two new polar research ships get together off the coast of Falmouth during sea trials.
RRS Sir David Attenborough getting ready for next phase of sea trials
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 …
An eye in the sky: monitoring animal colonies using drones in the subantarctic
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 …
Do your PhD with British Antarctic Survey in 2021
25 November, 2020
Applications for PhD projects with British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are now open for October 2021 admission. There are currently over 100 PhD students associated with BAS, working on a huge variety …
Microplastics ‘abundant’ in remote polar seas
23 October, 2020
New study of plastics in the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands
Dr Huw Griffiths awarded SCAR Medal for Education and Communication
7 August, 2020
Please join us in congratulating Dr Huw Griffiths, Marine Biogeographer at British Antarctic Survey, who has been awarded the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Medal for Education and Communication. …
Fellowship success for leaders of the future
23 April, 2020
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has announced its latest round of Future Leaders Fellowships today (23 April 2020). Congratulations to Dr Dan Jones and Dr Clara Manno of British Antarctic …
Invading species ‘hitches a ride’ on kelp to reach Antarctica
31 January, 2020
Large brown seaweed can bring invasive species to Antarctica, according to research published today (31 January 2020) in the journal Scientific Reports. The new study describes the first scientific evidence …
Protecting seabirds and mammals
8 January, 2020
A new study published this week (7 January 2020) identifies a need for fishery managers to adopt clear objectives for the protection of seabirds and mammals. It is published in …
Studies highlight fragility of Antarctic ecosystems
29 November, 2019
Two studies published in a special issue of the journal Science Advances this week (27 November 2019) highlight the fragility of the Antarctic and its ecosystems in the lead up …
Krill’s influence on CO2 and global climate
18 October, 2019
A new study involving British Antarctic Survey researchers highlights the influence of krill (Euphausia superba) on atmospheric carbon levels. It is published in the journal Nature Communications today (18th October …
Stranded whales detected from space
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 …
Marine research expedition sets sail for the South Atlantic
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 …
New funding uses seabirds as sentinels of South Atlantic
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 …
Scientists join policy makers to discuss conservation
22 October, 2018
BAS marine researchers join nearly 300 international delegates at the annual meeting of the Convention on the Conservation or Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) beginning in Hobart today. For the …
Research mission to Larsen C Ice Shelf thwarted by sea ice
2 March, 2018
Heavy sea ice conditions have thwarted a science mission from reaching the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica from which a large iceberg broke off in July 2017. A team …
Sea butterflies repair shell damage from ocean acidification
25 January, 2018
A new study of tiny marine snails called sea butterflies shows the great lengths these animals go to repair damage caused by ocean acidification. The paper, led by researchers at …
Krill behaviour takes carbon to the ocean depths
15 December, 2017
A new study shows that Antarctic krill behave in a way that could accelerate the transport of atmospheric carbon to the deep ocean. Antarctic krill form some of the highest …
Albatrosses in decline from fishing and environmental change
20 November, 2017
The populations of wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses have halved over the last 35 years on sub-antarctic Bird Island according to a new study published today (20 November) in the …
Scientists to visit hidden Antarctic ecosystem after giant iceberg calving
9 October, 2017
A team of scientists, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), is planning an urgent mission to investigate a mysterious marine ecosystem that’s been hidden beneath an Antarctic ice shelf for …
More losers than winners for Southern Ocean marine life
4 September, 2017
A new study of the marine invertebrates living in the seas around Antarctica reveals there will be more ‘losers’ than ‘winners’ over the next century as the Antarctic seafloor warms. …
New study puts shells under spotlight
11 November, 2016
A new study on how molluscs build their shells in the sub-zero waters of Antarctica is published today (Friday 11 November) in the journal Scientific Reports. A team of European …
UK welcomes agreement on largest Marine Protected Area
28 October, 2016
HOBART, Australia: The world’s experts on Antarctic marine conservation have this week agreed to establish a marine protected area (MPA) in Antarctica’s Ross Sea. At the meeting of the Commission …
Iceberg scouring disturbs carbon-fixing seafloor ecosystems
27 October, 2016
Shallow-water ecosystems are a major carbon sink, as many species living on the seafloor use carbon to build their tissue and shells. This carbon can become part of seafloor sediment …
New polar ship reaches first construction milestone
17 October, 2016
Keel-laying ceremony at Cammell Laird
Nature’s ocean fertiliser
20 September, 2016
Scientists have discovered that Antarctic krill – a tiny shrimp-like crustacean – plays a key role in fertilising the Southern Ocean with iron, which stimulates the growth of phytoplankton, the …
FEATURED PAPER: Battling bryozoans
13 June, 2016
This paper shows that, contrary to long-held ideas, the intensity of competition (density of direct, physical spatial contests) differs little with latitude. However, the severity of competition (contests with a …
On the ice opportunity for PhD students and Early Career Researchers
7 April, 2016
16 PhD students and Early Career Researchers have a unique opportunity to gain practical skills for working safely and effectively in the polar regions.
NEWS STORY: Oxygen depletion in the upper waters of the Southern Ocean during glacial periods
31 March, 2016
Research published this week by an international team of scientists, including the British Antarctic Survey, provides new insights into how carbon dioxide changed in the oceans surrounding Antarctica during glacial …
NEWS STORY: New polar ship bidder selected
12 October, 2015
Government announces preferred bidder to build new polar ship Minister of State for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson announced today that the preferred bidder to build a new polar research …
NEWS STORY: New Centre for Doctoral Training
6 October, 2015
NERC funds PhD training in robotics and autonomous systems
NEWS STORY: Patagonian toothfish fishery
16 September, 2014
South Georgia Patagonian toothfish fishery recertified with flying colours Following its five-yearly Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) assessment, the South Georgia Patagonian toothfish longline fishery has, for the third time, been …
PRESS RELEASE: New marine life atlas
25 August, 2014
New Atlas of Southern Ocean marine life A new atlas, providing the most thorough audit of marine life in the Southern Ocean, is published this week by the Scientific Committee …
PRESS RELEASE: Fur seal genetics and climate change
23 July, 2014
Genetic study shows major impact of climate change on Antarctic fur seals Genetic analysis of Antarctic fur seals, alongside decades of in-depth monitoring,* has provided unique insights into the effect …
NEWS STORY: Icebergs leave their mark
16 June, 2014
Climate related iceberg activity has massively altered life on the seabed Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey have found evidence that climate change has fundamentally altered the way that life …
NEWS STORY: Bridging the gap in the krill debate
9 June, 2014
Event: Understanding the objectives for krill fishing and conservation in the Scotia Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula Region Convened by the British Antarctic Survey, ICED and WWF WWF’s Living Planet …
PRESS RELEASE: New whale subspecies
21 May, 2014
Humpback whale subspecies revealed by genetic study A new genetic study has revealed that populations of humpback whales in the oceans of the North Pacific, North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere …
NEWS STORY: Funding announced for new ship
25 April, 2014
New polar research ship for UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon George Osborne MP announced this week (Friday 25 April 2014) that the Government has earmarked more than …
NEWS STORY: New critter discovered on whale carcass
22 April, 2014
Chance discovery could be unique to whale bone habitat A new species of bug, similar in appearance to the common woodlouse, has been found plastered all over a whale carcass …
NEWS STORY: Dutch research lab opened
28 January, 2013
New Research Laboratory opened at Rothera Research Station A new scientific laboratory has been built at the UK Rothera Research Station in Antarctica as a result of an international collaboration …
PRESS RELEASE: Effects of ocean acidification
25 November, 2012
First evidence of ocean acidification affecting live marine creatures in the Southern Ocean The shells of marine snails – known as pteropods – living in the seas around Antarctica are …
PRESS RELEASE: Penguins surveyed from space
13 April, 2012
Scientists count penguins from space A new study using satellite mapping technology reveals there are twice as many emperor penguins in Antarctica than was previously thought. The results provide an …
PRESS RELEASE: Krill’s key role in oceans
4 July, 2011
Antarctic krill help to fertilise Southern Ocean with iron A new discovery reveals that the shrimp-like creature at the heart of the Antarctic food chain could play a key role …
PRESS RELEASE: Deep sea mystery solved
13 June, 2011
New discovery – Copepods share “diver’s weight belt” technique with whales A deep-sea mystery has been solved with the discovery that the tiny 3 mm long marine animals, eaten by …
PRESS RELEASE: Island haven for sea life
24 May, 2011
Study reveals most biologically rich island in Southern Ocean The first comprehensive study of sea creatures around the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia reveals a region that is richer in …
PRESS RELEASE: Census of Marine Life
4 October, 2010
Event: A Decade of Discovery: Census of Marine Life — News Conference Venue: Royal Institution, London Date: Monday 4 October: 12.30 – 16.30 Findings from a major international investigation into …
PRESS RELEASE: How marine animals crossed continent
31 August, 2010
Marine animals suggest evidence for a trans-Antarctic seaway A tiny marine filter-feeder, that anchors itself to the sea bed, offers new clues to scientists studying the stability of the West …
PRESS RELEASE: Diversity of marine species detailed
18 February, 2010
Understanding global climate change through new breakthroughs in Polar research The latest findings from research on Antarctica’s rich marine life are presented this week at the American Association for the …
PRESS RELEASE: Carbon sinks created by glacier retreat
9 November, 2009
Antarctica glacier retreat creates new carbon dioxide store Large blooms of tiny marine plants called phytoplankton are flourishing in areas of open water left exposed by the recent and rapid …