13 December, 2025
The staff at the UK’s Rothera Research Station in Antarctica have been gifted an iconic Royal Mail ‘lamp’ post box featuring the King Charles III cypher – just in time …
13 November, 2025
New research reveals 47% decline in breeding female elephant seals at sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia following a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) …
Read more on Severe impact of avian flu on southern elephant seals
6 October, 2025
The fleet of British Antarctic Survey aircraft have taken off on their annual ‘ferry flights’ from Canada, in preparation for a new season of science in Antarctica. The BAS fleet …
29 September, 2025 Emily Newton
Geoengineering is the hot topic in climate science debate – drawing increasingly emotive and divisive responses, as investment in blue-sky engineering proposals grows and progress on decarbonisation stutters. Geoengineering is …
Read more on Why is everyone talking about geoengineering? | Beyond the Ice
29 September, 2025
London, 29-30 September 2025 – Scientists meeting at The Royal Society in London this week are issuing a stark warning: dramatic and extreme changes in Antarctica are happening faster than …
19 September, 2025
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is pioneering inclusivity in one of the world’s most challenging environments – the vast, icy expanse of Antarctica. Through pioneering work on polar hygiene and broader …
18 September, 2025
A new map catalogue with access to a large collection of freely available polar maps is now available online. Many of these maps were previously unavailable to the public and …
17 September, 2025
17 September 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station The British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) wintering team continues to make progress on our new science and operations facility, the Discovery Building at Rothera Research …
Read more on 17 September 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station
This meeting will be taking place on 29 September to 30 September and is organised by Professor Kate Hendry, Professor Dame Jane Francis DCMG FRS, Professor Michael Meredith…
6 August, 2025 Sarah Le Besque
Glaciers – immense rivers of ice, containing vast volumes of freshwater – are often considered barren environments, and the melting of them seen as an indicator of climate change. But …
5 August, 2025
The Mapping and Geographic Information Centre (MAGIC) at the British Antarctic Survey have produced new maps of the topography (physical features) and geology of Alexander Island in Antarctica. These maps …
Read more on New maps published of Alexander Island, Antarctica
30 July, 2025 Emily Newton
When news broke that Antarctica had gained ice mass between 2021 and 2023, it sparked debate across comment sections worldwide. How could the continent be gaining ice when we’re constantly …
Read more on How do we actually know Antarctica is melting? Mass balance explained
24 July, 2025
A new study has revealed that ocean tides can directly influence when massive Antarctic icebergs break off from the ice shelves surrounding the continent, a process known as calving. The research marks a major step toward accurately forecasting ice loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet and improving projections of global sea level rise.
Read more on New research links ocean tides to when icebergs in Antarctica break off
On 26 July from 9am-5pm, join the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) at the Grand Arcade shopping centre in Cambridge for the brilliant opportunity to explore polar science close to home. This free event will feature a showcase of some of the work conducted at BAS.
26 June, 2025
A new study challenges recent claims about dramatic “greening” in Antarctica and how this conflicts with decades of field-based ecological knowledge. The new opinion article ‘Is Antarctica Greening?’, published in …
Read more on Study challenges recent claims about rapid Antarctic “greening”
24 June, 2025
As the 2024/25 Antarctic construction season comes to a close, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) marks a crucial milestone in the modernisation of Rothera Research Station, as the Discovery Building …
Read more on End of season milestone: Discovery Building lights the way forward
29 May, 2025 Emily Neville
At the bottom of the world, where few humans have ever set foot, an unwelcome visitor has arrived. Antarctica – the vast, frozen wilderness of ice and snow – is …
8 May, 2025
Scientists have discovered a glacier in Antarctica committing “ice piracy” – stealing ice from its neighbour in a phenomenon previously thought to take hundreds or thousands of years. Research led …
Read more on West Antarctic glacier observed stealing ice from neighbour
17 April, 2025 Jamie Oliver
Antarctica, January 2025. Three expert teams are making their way across the stark frozen landscape, by sea, land and air – and they are planning to meet. Jamie Oliver shares …
28 March, 2025 Emily Newton
There’s more machinery than you think involved in running an Antarctic research station – and keeping the vehicles moving are a team of hardy and inventive engineers.Ben Norrish (Head of …
Read more on Behind the big blue door: the workshop helping to drive Antarctic science
5 March, 2025
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has installed and activated two solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage systems in Antarctica as part of our commitment to reach net zero by 2040. …
28 February, 2025 Amy Ringrose
Whether it’s bubbles of ancient air, microscopic creatures, or the rumble of an impending ice quake – there’s more hidden in Antarctica’s vast polar desert than meets the eye. Ice …
Read more on The core of the matter: the scientists using Antarctic ice to understand our climate
Come along to ‘Antarctic Adventure – Explore the Frozen Frontier’ – a talk aimed at anyone over 7 years old by British Antarctic Survey polar scientist Kate Hendry and marine …
21 February, 2025
Meet Olivier Hubert, the chef bringing culinary excellence to the bottom of the world at British Antarctic Survey’s research stations. From crafting 5,000-calorie meals for polar scientists to hosting Caribbean-themed …
Read more on From Fine Dining to Frozen Frontiers: Life as an Antarctic Chef
11 February, 2025
Extreme precipitation events in Antarctica, which are mostly dominated by snowfall due to sub-zero temperatures, also include rainfall, according to new research. BAS scientists studying atmospheric rivers – narrow bands …
Read more on New study reveals what brings rainfall to ice shelves in West Antarctica
29 January, 2025
Scientists from the University of Cambridge and British Antarctic Survey have used ice core records to draw new conclusions about how Antarctica was affected by increased global temperatures over 100,000 …
Read more on Ancient Antarctic ice loss offers insights into future climate scenarios
20 January, 2025
This Blue Monday (20 January), escape the ordinary and apply for the job of a lifetime in Antarctica. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for people to work at its …
Read more on Seriously remote working – applications open for jobs in Antarctica
19 December, 2024
A new study shows that the ongoing decline in Antarctic sea ice is leading to more heat loss from the ocean to the atmosphere and an increase in storm activity. …
Read more on Declining Antarctic sea ice generating more ocean heat loss and storms
9 December, 2024 Madeline De Marchis
Poo isn’t usually what first comes to mind when thinking of Antarctica, we tend to imagine the frozen landscape, vast expanses of white, ice sheets, and penguins. Yet, poo is …
Read more on 7 things you didn’t know about poo in Antarctica
The British Antarctic Survey invites you to join us at the Science Museum Christmas Lates. The halls will be decked for a festive celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths …
27 November, 2024
Polar ice sheets are critical for climate projections, according to new research published today in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment. Improving understanding of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets …
Read more on Role of polar ice sheets in climate tipping points
26 November, 2024
A project looking at how clouds affect climate change in Antarctica starts its second year of field research this month. The Southern Ocean Clouds (SOC) project, which is part of …
Read more on Cloud scientists take to the skies to solve climate uncertainty
20 November, 2024
New research shows that increased levels of plastic pollution in the Southern Ocean could reduce the ability of Antarctic krill, a tiny shrimp-like crustacean, to help take CO2 from the atmosphere. The …
Read more on Plastic reduces how krill remove carbon into deep ocean
15 November, 2024
Today marks the release of The Seventh Continent, a new album from the international Sounds of Space Project that offers a unique aural journey to Antarctica. The album features contributions …
24 October, 2024
The Antarctic field season is now underway, marked by the arrival of the first aircraft at Rothera Research Station. And with a new season brings a new roster of innovative …
4 October, 2024
New research released today in Nature Geoscience reveals that vegetation cover on the Antarctic Peninsula has increased more than tenfold in the past four decades. Researchers from University of Exeter, University …
Read more on Satellite observations show accelerating greening of Antarctic Peninsula
6 August, 2024
The first continent-wide mapping study of plant life across Antarctica reveals growth in previously uncharted areas, and is set to inform conservation measures across the region. Published today in Nature …
Read more on First Antarctic-wide survey of plant life to aid conservation efforts
Join British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists at this year’s world-famous Lyme Regis Fossil Festival, taking place from Friday 7 June to Sunday 9 June. Come and marvel at remarkable fossils …
Aimed at KS2, children have the opportunity to find out about the facilities at Rothera research station and the challenges faced in trying to modernise it without impacting upon this special environment. They can ask questions to a scientist, pilot and engineers on station.
2 April, 2024 Katie Handford
As the Antarctic winter season fast approaches, we’ll be following the journey of one of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme’s (AIMP) Assistant Project Managers, Katie Handford as she gears up to spend winter at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica.
22 February, 2024
A team testing the Windracers ULTRA drone in Antarctica has shared the first video footage of the aircraft flying autonomously over British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station and its …
Read more on First flights of uncrewed aircraft in Antarctica
3 February, 2024
A team have arrived at Rothera Research Station, ready to start testing the new Windracers ULTRA autonomous drone in Antarctica. If successful, the new drone platform could represent a major …
Read more on Pilotless plane test crew arrives in Antarctica
10 January, 2024
Scientists have identified the intricate meteorological drivers that led to an intense heatwave across East Antarctica in from 15-19 March 2022. The heatwave, which affected an area of the size …
Read more on Extreme heatwave in East Antarctica caused by record-breaking ‘atmospheric river’
8 January, 2024
Halley Research Station, Antarctica – A team of scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is gearing up for an expedition to the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica to unravel …
Read more on Team embarks on mission to investigate iceberg calving
30 December, 2023 Emily Newton
How does a woman born in 1950s England go on to earn a PhD in geology, spend weeks at a time researching in Antarctica, become the director of the British …
4 December, 2023
ANTARCTICA: Scientists aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough collected samples of seawater around the A23a mega iceberg, the largest iceberg in the world. New video footage shows the enormous iceberg, …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough samples A23a iceberg during climate science mission
15 November, 2023
Since Antarctica has no indigenous human populations to give names to landmarks, the UK Antarctic Place-names Committee provides advice on place-naming in the British Antarctic Territory, adhering to international principles …
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
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, …
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
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
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 …
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
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
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
19 May, 2023 Connie Pang
Connie Pang is a Senior Structural Engineer at Ramboll and travelled to Antarctica this year to work as the Site Supervisor for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme. Here she looks …
British Antarctic Survey is delighted to be exhibiting at this year’s Bluedot Festival from 20-23 July 2023. Join us at Bluedot Festival – an award winning line up of music, science and …
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
5 April, 2023 Alysa Fisher
Alysa Hulbert, is an Information Officer at British Antarctic Survey. She spent several months last year working in Antarctica, which coincided with the Jewish festival of Passover or Pesach פֶּסַח. …
22 March, 2023 Emily Newton
Composer Ewan Campbell has written a piece of music for trumpet inspired by the 21-year journey of the A22a iceberg. The new composition was also illustrated onto a British Antarctic …
Read more on Last Post from the burning decks of a melting iceberg
14 March, 2023 Christopher Robert Lloyd
Christopher Robert Lloyd, Associate Project Manager at Ramboll is currently working at Rothera Research Station on the construction of the Discovery Building for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP). In …
1 February, 2023 Kathleen Maclean
Simeon Anastasov, Principal Fire Engineer at OFR Consultants, is currently working at Rothera Research Station providing site supervision as part of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP). In this blog …
We’re delighted to be partnering with The Deep and the Scott Polar Research Institute to bring you ‘Polar Fest’ – the perfect family friendly event this winter! This event is …
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 …
27 October, 2022 by Anna Jones, Ella Gilbert, Oliver Marsh
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 February, 2022 Melody Clark
Today, 11 February, is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a global initiative led by UNESCO and UN-Women. To celebrate, we have asked some of our female staff …
Read more on BAS celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in Science
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
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 …
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
16 November, 2021
Britain’s new polar research ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, departs the UK this week for its maiden voyage to Antarctica. It will leave Harwich today (16 November), with 66 …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough makes maiden voyage to Antarctica
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. …
5 October, 2021 Huw Griffiths
Black History Month recognises and celebrates the achievements of people with African or Caribbean heritage and takes place every October (in the UK). It marks the contributions of Black people …
Read more on Reflections on Black History Month and lessons for the Polar Research community
4 October, 2021 Amanda Wynne
The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was agreed in 1991 and came into force in 1998, once it had been ratified by all 26 (currently 28) Antarctic …
20 September, 2021 Amanda Wynne
2021 marks several anniversaries for diplomacy in the Polar Regions. This month (19 September) we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Arctic Council. Whilst the Arctic and Antarctic are truly …
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
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 …
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
27 April, 2021 James Bowyer
Doctor James Bowyer has just returned to the UK after providing medical cover for Rothera Research Station staff from 2019 – 2021. James shares his experiences of life and work …
18 February, 2021
In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from Imperial College London, the University of Lyon and the British Antarctic Survey have shown Antarctic subglacial lakes may be more hospitable …
Read more on Potential for life in lakes isolated beneath Antarctic ice
The Discovery Building will be a new world-class scientific support and operations facility at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica.
15 December, 2020
UPDATE 15/12/2020: Opening Signy Research Station RRS James Clark Ross arrived at Signy Island on 15 December. Signy Island is one of the remote South Orkney Islands, which lie more …
17 November, 2020
British Antarctic Survey contributes to new international study that finds a surprising increase in the amount of dense water sinking near Antarctica, following 50 years of decline. Dense water formed …
Read more on Climate extremes drive changes in Antarctic Bottom Water
21 October, 2020
BIRKENHEAD. Today (Wednesday 21 October) the UK’s most advanced polar research ship – RRS Sir David Attenborough – leaves Cammell Laird shipyard for two weeks of technical sea trials. In …
Read more on RRS Sir David Attenborough departs Cammell Laird for technical sea trials
16 September, 2020
This World Ozone Day, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) celebrates new technology which enables continuous monitoring of the ozone hole over Antarctica. Readings from the Dobson Ozone Spectrophotometer at Halley Research …
Read more on Automated Halley monitors the ozone hole over Antarctica
19 June, 2020
British Antarctic Survey are this Sunday (21 June) celebrating Midwinter’s Day in Antarctica. In a tradition which began more than one hundred years ago with Captain Scott, the event marks …
Join climate scientist and #SciComm expert Ella Gilbert online for ‘Antarctica: Mystery of the ice’ at BAS Live, 2:00pm, Thursday 18 June 2020. Antarctica, the world’s most southerly continent, contains …
20 May, 2020
Scientists have created the first ever large-scale map of microscopic algae as they bloomed across the surface of snow along the Antarctic Peninsula coast. Results indicate that this ‘green snow’ is …
Read more on Climate change will turn coastal Antarctica green
22 January, 2020 Jennifer Jackson
BAS biologist Dr Jennifer Jackson shares updates from the South Georgia southern right whale expedition currently in progress in the sub-Antarctic. During January 2020, the British Antarctic Survey’s wild water …
Read more on Blog: South Georgia whale expedition in full swing!
29 July, 2019 Melody Clark
Professor Melody Clark, Project Leader, discusses the trials and tribulations of undertaking research in Antarctica. Her latest paper published in Nature Communications shows that rising sea temperatures of just 1-2 …
Read more on Warming up the Antarctic: Harder than you think
18 June, 2019
The debut mission involving the autonomous submarine Autosub Long Range – affectionately known as Boaty McBoatface – has for the first time shed light on a key process linking increasing …
Read more on Boaty McBoatface sheds light on warming ocean abyss
9 April, 2019
This week a team of European researchers announces its plans for an ambitious mission to find the oldest ice on Earth (9 April 2019). Antarctica’s ice has the potential to …
Read more on New mission for 1.5 million year climate record
15 February, 2019 Nadescha Zwerschke
Nadescha Zwerschke is a marine biologist, who was travelling on the RRS James Clark Ross (JCR) as part of the ICEBERGS 2 cruise in December 2018. Having left Burdwood Bank …
17 January, 2019
A new study of the animals living in polar oceans reveals which are most at risk from climate change. The study is published today (17 January) in Frontiers in Marine …
Read more on New study looks at risk to Antarctic marine life in future
9 January, 2019
Applications to carry out small-scale research projects in the Antarctic in the 2019/20 season are invited from UK-based researchers. The Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (CASS) provides fieldwork opportunities for scientists …
Read more on Opportunities for Antarctic research – Apply now
19 December, 2018
Of the known non-native or ‘alien’ species found in Antarctica, a non-biting species of midge currently presents one of the highest risks to terrestrial ecosystems, researchers have found. The preliminary …
29 May, 2018
Leading climate scientist and BAS oceanographer Dr Emily Shuckburgh worked with award-winning author and illustrator Chris Haughton to create the short film Message from Antarctica. This is part of the …
Read more on Hay Festival short film highlights Antarctic climate science