The BAS Science Strategy Team ensures that the organisation delivers world-leading science underpinned by a clear polar science strategy, that science in BAS is well-managed and has funding that is appropriate and secure.
Terms of Reference
1 May, 2020
CAMBRIDGE: British Antarctic Survey (BAS) continues to plan its operational support to the UK and international polar research community during global challenges posed by COVID-19. Halley and Signy Research Stations …
12 September, 2018
The British Antarctic Survey has been awarded National Capability funds for polar science which will strengthen UK national security, resilience, economic growth and societal benefit
30 April, 2018
A new UK-U.S. Antarctic research programme to improve the prediction of future sea-level rise is launched this week (Monday 30 April 2018) at British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Cambridge. The £20 …
15 September, 2016
ODA funds – expertise to address major challenges facing the developing world
14 February, 2023 by Huw Griffiths
The RRS Sir David Attenborough has begun its polar science trials in Antarctica. A team of 30 national and international scientists, engineers and technical staff are working on the ship …
3 August, 2020 by David Vaughan
BLOG. BAS Director of Science, Professor David Vaughan describes his ambition for more diversity in science.
8 March, 2023 by Kevin Newsham, Peter Convey
The nutrient-poor soils of Antarctica are sensitive to change. Recent increases in the number of anthropogenic introductions mean that understanding the impact of non-native species on Antarctic soils is pertinent,…1 March, 2023 by Peter Convey
We provide the first assessment of fungal diversity associated with historic wooden structures at Whalers Bay (Heritage Monument 71), Deception Island, maritime Antarctic, using DNA metabarcoding. We detected a total…1 March, 2023 by Peter Convey
Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands include some of the world’s most extreme and pristine terrestrial habitats. While they are characterized by low biodiversity and terrestrial communities comprise small, often microscopic,…1 March, 2023 by Peter Convey
Antarctic soils provide an excellent setting to test biogeographical patterns across spatial and environmental scales given their relatively simple communities and the dominance of physical factors that create strong environmental…28 February, 2023 by Peter Convey
Free-living terrestrial mites (Acari) have persisted through numerous glacial cycles in Antarctica. Very little is known, however, of their genetic diversity and distribution, particularly within the Ross Sea region. To…24 February, 2023 by David Barnes, Jonathan Shanklin, Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Invasive non-native species (INNS) are recognized as a major threat to island biodiversity, ecosystems, and economies globally. Preventing high-risk INNS from being introduced is the most cost-effective way to avoid…23 February, 2023 by Richard Horne
In this study, we use approximately 3 years of observations from the Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace (ERG/Arase) satellite to statistically study the meridional distribution of wave power…Read more on Latitudinal dependence of ground VLF transmitter wave power in the inner magnetosphere
13 February, 2023 by Peter Convey
The Arctic has a diverse terrestrial microarthropod fauna which overwinters in situ in soil and vegetation. This fauna is involved in key ecosystem process, for example decomposition and pollination, and…8 February, 2023 by Peter Convey
We studied the fungal diversity present in soils sampled along a deglaciated chronosequence from para- to periglacial conditions on James Ross Island, north-east Antarctic Peninsula, using DNA metabarcoding. A total…1 February, 2023 by Emma Young, Michael Meredith
A high-resolution ocean model is used to characterize the variability of the shelf circulation and cross-shelf transport around the South Georgia island (SG). The time-mean shelf circulation consists of a…Read more on Variability of the shelf circulation around South Georgia, Southern Ocean
1 February, 2023 by Peter Convey, Peter Fretwell
Mapping spatiotemporal changes in the distribution of blue ice regions (BIRs) in Antarctica requires repeated, precise, and high-resolution baseline maps of the blue ice extent. This study demonstrated the design…1 February, 2023 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Intensive human exploitation of the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) in its primary population centre on sub-Antarctic South Georgia, as well as on other sub-Antarctic islands and parts of the…16 January, 2023 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey, Rachel Cavanagh
Climate change is increasingly affecting Antarctica and the rest of the world. Urgent policy responses are needed to mitigate its associated impacts. Engagement of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM),…5 January, 2023 by Anna Jones, Millie Bond, Freya Squires, Markus Frey
Measurements of atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO) amount fraction and flux density above snow were carried out using a long path absorption photometer at Halley station in coastal Antarctica between 22…4 January, 2023 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity is simple compared with other regions of the Earth, with many higher taxonomic groups not represented owing to the continent’s isolation, the severe climatic conditions and the…1 January, 2023 by Eugene Murphy
The dynamics of marine systems at decadal scales are notoriously hard to predict—hence references to this timescale as the “grey zone” for ocean prediction. Nevertheless, decadal-scale prediction is a rapidly…1 January, 2023 by Hugh Venables, Mairi Fenton, Michael Meredith
Seasonal cycling in carbon, alkalinity, and nutrients in landfast sea ice in Hangar Cove, Adelaide Island, West Antarctic Peninsula, were investigated during winter, spring, and summer 2014–2015. Temporal dynamics were…Read more on Carbon and nutrient cycling in Antarctic landfast sea ice from winter to summer
23 December, 2022 by Dieter Tetzner, Robert Mulvaney
Few ice cores from the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Sea sectors of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) extend back in time further than a few hundred years. The WAIS is…Read more on An age scale for new climate records from Sherman Island, West Antarctica [in review]
22 December, 2022 by Elisabeth Biersma, Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity faces multiple threats, from invasive species to climate change. Yet no large-scale assessments of threat management strategies exist. Applying a structured participatory approach, we demonstrate that existing…Read more on Threat management priorities for conserving Antarctic biodiversity
