conservation biology Archives - British Antarctic Survey

Two bull elephant seals fighting on the beach, surrounded by penguins.

Drones and images from space count elephant seals

12 November, 2024

A team of researchers are using drones and satellite images from space to count southern elephant seals on the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia. Using remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS) …

A close up of a hillside next to a body of water

First Antarctic-wide survey of plant life to aid conservation efforts

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 …

Surveying seabirds on South Georgia to support conservation

6 March, 2024 Sarah Manthorpe

In this blog, science data manager Sarah Manthorpe describes her recent fieldwork survey of seabirds in the Southern Ocean. As I’m sitting here counting albatrosses from my desk, it feels …

DNA Detectives: New ways to spot Southern Ocean hitchhikers

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 …

A man flying through the air while riding a wave in the ocean

Threatened sea birds visit plastic pollution hot spots

4 July, 2023

Plastic pollution accumulating in international waters poses a serious risk to marine life, including a number of threatened bird species. A huge team of scientists studied the global movements of …

Fish survival in the extreme cold

30 June, 2023

An international team of researchers has sequenced the genomes of 24 Antarctic fish species to investigate how they survive the extreme cold. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, …

BLOG: If we are serious about climate mitigation, we must do smarter ocean nature protection

19 May, 2021 David Barnes

This week at Climate Exp0, Dr David Barnes, benthic marine Ecologist at British Antarctic Survey, has discussed the potential for mitigating climate change through nature-based solutions, including sharing collaborative research …

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 …

A flock of seagulls standing next to a body of water.

Seabird populations on Antarctic Peninsula unexpected

5 December, 2018

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 …

Monitoring penguins in the South Atlantic

25 October, 2018 Norman Ratcliffe

Norman Ratcliffe, a seabird biologist at British Antarctic Survey (BAS), studies the biology of seabirds and how this is impacted by climate change. Read this blog to find out about …

Fur seals in the Falklands – Part 2

10 October, 2018 Kayleigh Jones

Kayleigh Jones, a seal biologist at British Antarctic Survey, travelled to the Falkland Islands to spend 6 weeks studying South American fur seals. Read on to find out about camp …

A seal on a rock next to a body of water.

Fur seals in the Falklands – Part 1

9 October, 2018 Kayleigh Jones

Kayleigh Jones, a seal biologist at British Antarctic Survey, travelled to the Falkland Islands to spend 6 weeks studying South American fur seals. Read on to find out about her …

Success in the South Atlantic

26 April, 2018

A team of scientists on board the RRS James Clark Ross (JCR) has conducted marine biodiversity research around the Island of St Helena with a team of UK based and …

Research cruise heading to study South Atlantic islands

16 March, 2018

The RRS James Clark Ross left the Falkland Islands yesterday (15th March) and is travelling towards Tristan Da Cunha, with expected arrival on the 22nd March. The vessel will survey …

A large body of water with a mountain in the background.

New Year Honours for British Antarctic Survey scientist

5 January, 2018

Our congratulations go to Dr Phil Trathan who has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Southern Ocean science and conservation. Dr …

BBC Blockbuster Blue Planet II returns

23 October, 2017

Blue Planet II – the nature documentary that explores the deepest and darkest realms of the world’s oceans – is back on the BBC some 16 years after it was …

Integrating climate science into ecosystem-based management

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) are convening a series of workshops in 2017-18 on Science-Policy Challenges in Polar Conservation and Management. Each of the workshops …

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 …

Angelika brandt et al. standing around a table.

SHIP BLOG: Heading for home

31 March, 2016 Susie Grant

The ship’s science labs have all been packed up and cleaned, kit boxes stowed in the container, cargo paperwork finished and cruise reports written. The SO-AntEco team is ready to …

Bird Island Research Station

Bird Island Research Station is an important centre for research into bird and seal biology. Lying off the north-west tip of South Georgia, Bird Island is one of the richest …

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: Penguin trends analysed

6 August, 2014

Risks to penguin populations analysed A major study of all penguin species suggests the birds are at continuing risk from habitat degradation. Writing in the journal, Conservation Biology, a group …

NEWS STORY: Emperor Penguins’ adaptation skills

24 June, 2014

New research using satellite images reveals that emperor penguins are more willing to relocate than previously thought A new study led by the University of Minnesota offers new insights on …

A flock of seagulls are standing in the snow.

NEWS STORY: Ancestral penguins studied

12 June, 2014

Rise and fall of prehistoric penguin populations charted The British Antarctic Survey has been involved in a study of how penguin populations have changed over the last 30,000 years. This …

BLOG: Bird Island Station Leader

28 May, 2014

We caught up with Bird Island Research Station Leader Adam Bradley who was living and working on the island when the BBC crew came to film Deadly Pole to Pole. …

NEWS STORY: Bird Island on CBBC

27 May, 2014

Deadly Pole to Pole at Bird Island Tune in to CBBC today at 5:25pm to see adventurer Steve Backshall on Bird Island as part of the BBC’s Deadly Pole to …

PRESS RELEASE: Penguins monitored with tags

21 May, 2014

Electronic tags provide 10 years worth of penguin data A team of scientists, led by researchers from the British Antarctic Survey, has used tiny electronic tags to study the decline …

PRESS RELEASE Age and Antarctic clams

18 April, 2013

Age matters to Antarctic clams A new study of Antarctic clams reveals that age matters when it comes to adapting to the effects of climate change. The research provides new …

Research outputs