The overall responsibility of SciMT is to advise and support the Director of Science on management issues that affect planning and delivery of science on both short and long timescales.
Specific responsibilities of SciMT are:
Chair: Dr Anna Jones, Director of Science
16 January, 2025 by Louise Sime
Antarctic ice cores can help determine ice mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) during past warm periods. We compile Last Interglacial (LIG) δ18O measurements from eight Antarctic cores…13 January, 2025 by Peter Convey
Polar marine macroalgae thrive in extreme conditions, often displaying geographic isolation and high degree of endemism. The “phycosphere” refers to the zone around the algae inhabited by microrganisms. Our study…10 January, 2025 by Peter Convey
Lichens play important roles in habitat formation and community succession in polar and alpine ecosystems. Despite their significance, the ecological effects of lichen traits remain poorly researched. We propose a…1 January, 2025 by Peter Convey
Increasing global morbidity is often associated with communicable or noncommunicable diseases; however, adverse drug effects have also been linked with an increase in mortality worldwide. This has emphasized the need…Read more on Chapter 36 – Biomedical applications of algal-based products
30 December, 2024 by Aidan Hunter, Arlie McCarthy, Clara Manno, Sally Thorpe
Marine microplastic is pervasive, polluting the remotest ecosystems including the Southern Ocean. Since this region is already undergoing climatic changes, the additional stress of microplastic pollution on the ecosystem should…19 December, 2024 by Andrew Meijers
Recent Antarctic sea-ice decline is a substantial source of concern, notably the record low in 2023 (ref. 1 ). Progress has been made towards establishing the causes of ice loss…Read more on Record-low Antarctic sea ice in 2023 increased ocean heat loss and storms
19 December, 2024 by Peter Convey
To better understand the long-distance dispersal of fungi between South America and Antarctica, we assessed aerial fungal diversity based on environmental DNA samples along a South Atlantic transect from Brazil…18 December, 2024 by Anna Belcher, Geraint Tarling, Gabriele Stowasser, Sophie Fielding
The Controls Over Mesopelagic Interior Carbon Storage (COMICS) cruise DY086 took place aboard the RRS Discovery in the South Atlantic during November and December, 2017. Physical, chemical, biogeochemical and biological…17 December, 2024 by Peter Convey
Despite increasing awareness of the threats they pose, exotic species continue to arrive in Antarctica with anthropogenic assistance, some of which inevitably have the potential to become aggressively invasive. Here,…16 December, 2024 by Tracy Moffat-Griffin
During austral winter, the southern high latitudes has some of the most intense stratospheric gravity wave (GW) activity globally. However, producing accurate representations of GW dynamics in this region in…15 December, 2024 by Anne-Pia Marty, Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark
The Antarctic seabed harbors significant biodiversity, and almost 90% of oceanic environments are permanently below 5 °C (i.e., deep sea and polar regions). However, organisms whose entire lifecycle occurs around…11 December, 2024 by Louise Sime
Paleoclimate information has played an instrumental role in showing how fast climate can vary and how large these changes can be. It provided the first vivid demonstration of the relationships…1 December, 2024 by Peter Convey
Species arrival sequence in new habitats impacts plant community development. This ‘priority-effect’ is documented, but mechanisms by which early arriving plants dominate future communities are less clear, complicating our ability…1 December, 2024 by Peter Convey
Microalgae are gaining considerable attention in the field of cosmeceuticals due to their unique profile. In particular, the diverse range of valuable bioactive compounds isolated from microalgae are known to…1 December, 2024 by Peter Convey
Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of fungal taxa in the extreme ecosystems of Antarctica that are known to opportunistically infect humans and animals. Among these are members of the…1 December, 2024 by Peter Convey
Arctic terrestrial invertebrate biodiversity is generally poorly known, but the archipelago of Svalbard has one of the most up-to-date inventories of its terrestrial and freshwater faunas of any Arctic region,…1 December, 2024 by Peter Convey
Wounds are generally caused by an injury to the skin such as a cut or a puncture. They can be considered in two groups, acute and chronic wounds. Poor wound…1 December, 2024 by Peter Convey
Interactions between a host organism and its associated microbiota, including symbiotic bacteria, play a crucial role in host adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Antarctica provides a unique environment for the…Read more on Wolbachia in Antarctic invertebrates: absent or undiscovered?
28 November, 2024 by Alistair Crame
During an unexpected heatwave, just over 100 scientists, from more than 15 different countries attended 'Bivalves 2023–Where are we going?' held at the University of Cambridge (UK) between 5 and…Read more on Bivalves 2023—Where are we going? An overview of an international meeting
20 November, 2024 by Peter Convey
During a 2019 Chilean Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ECA 55) studying crustose coralline algae (CCA) diversity on the Antarctic Peninsula, bleaching of these algae was observed for the first time in…
