Polar oceans influence the entire Earth System in all areas, including the seas around the UK. The polar oceans have an enormous capacity to store and redistribute fresh water, heat, carbon dioxide and other climatically-important substances. Oceanographic studies help make more accurate predictions about global impacts.


CONSEC

CONSEC is addressing the challenge to understand the links between the biodiversity, structure and function of Southern Ocean ecosystems and the impacts of rapid environmental changes to improve scientific knowledge …



Orkney Passage Long Term Monitoring

The densest waters in the Atlantic overturning circulation, Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), originate in the Weddell Sea, as Weddell Sea Deep Water. A large proportion is exported northward to the …


SiCLING

The polar regions are experiencing the most rapid climate change observed on Earth: temperatures are rising in some regions of the Arctic and Antarctic at more than double the global …


Arctic Summer-time Cyclones

The Arctic Summer-time Cyclone Project is a joint project of scientists from the University of Reading, University of East Anglia and the British Antarctic Survey with expertise in atmospheric dynamics, …


SIWHA

The NERC funded SIWHA_CO2 project “Sea Ice and Westerly winds during the Holocene in coastal Antarctica, to better constrain oceanic CO2 uptake” will be a breakthrough in our understanding of how …


Southern Ocean Clouds

SOC is a project of the NERC CloudSense Programme The biases observed in climate models over the Southern Ocean in surface radiation and sea surface temperature are larger than anywhere …


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?


SO-WISE

We are constructing observationally-constrained estimates of the state of the Weddell Gyre, including associated ice shelves and sea ice Introduction In the 25 years between 1992 and 2017, ocean melting …


PRESS RELEASE: Mapping the ice from below

24 November, 2014

Underwater robot sheds new light on Antarctic sea ice The first detailed, high-resolution 3-D maps of Antarctic sea ice have been developed using an underwater robot. Scientists from the UK, …


NEWS STORY: Southern Ocean dynamics

2 June, 2014

The Southern Ocean: new insights into circulation, carbon and climate A special issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A has been published today (Monday 2 June) which …


NEWS STORY: Marine award for scientist

2 May, 2014

BAS Scientist receives prestigious award BAS oceanographer, Dr Emily Shuckburgh, has been presented with the Rosenstiel Award at a ceremony in Miami in the United States. The Rosenstiel Award, created …


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: Crucial conditions for phytoplankton

16 March, 2014

Winter conditions crucial for phytoplankton growth in Southern Ocean An international team of researchers, including the British Antarctic Survey, has found new evidence that winter conditions in the Southern Ocean …



NEWS STORY: New research on ocean currents

22 December, 2013

New research sheds light on history of polar current Research conducted by a team that included scientists from British Antarctic Survey reveals the ocean current moving around the South Pole …


NEWS STORY: Submerged mountains aid ocean mixing

18 September, 2013

Undersea mountains provide crucial piece in climate prediction puzzle A mystery in the ocean near Antarctica has been solved by researchers who have long puzzled over how deep and mid-depth …


NEWS STORY: New academic role for expert

22 May, 2013

Honorary Professorship for BAS polar ocean expert Michael Meredith Polar ocean expert, Michael Meredith, has been made an honorary Professor by the University of the Highlands and Islands. The professorship …


NEWS STORY: New post for oceans expert

7 February, 2013

Professor Michael Meredith joins the Scottish Association for Marine Science Eminent Antarctic oceanographer, Professor Michael Meredith this week joined the staff at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) on …