Predicting non-native ‘invasions’ in Antarctica
13 January, 2020
A new study identifies the non-native species most likely to ‘invade’ the Antarctic Peninsula region over the next decade. It provides a baseline for all operators in the region to …
Environment Office team
The Environment Office coordinates and monitors environmental activities on BAS stations and ships and at its headquarters in Cambridge to ensure minimum environmental impact.
Our responsibilities
- Developing and implementing BAS environmental policy
- Coordinating the Environmental Management System, registered to ISO14001
- Meeting the requirements of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1998) and the Antarctic Act (1994)
- Carrying out Environmental Impact Assessments for all projects south
- Protecting and conserving historic BAS stations
- Preparing a Quarterly Environmental Report
- Organising the safe and proper disposal of waste
- Managing oil spill response and contingency planning
The day-to-day responsibility for environmental and waste management in the Antarctic lies with the Station Leaders, Ship Captains and Lead Field Guides, but Environment Office staff spend at least part of each summer field season in the Antarctic undertaking environmental inspections or audits of BAS research stations and vessels, as well as leading environmental projects, such as the clean-up of abandoned facilities.
Protecting the Antarctic Environment: 25 years on
4 October, 2016
Celebrating 25 years of environmental protection in Antarctica
UK reaffirms commitment to protecting Antarctica
31 May, 2016
International declaration marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
NEWS STORY: Antarctic conservation issues
13 July, 2012
Challenges facing the future of Antarctica A century ago, Antarctica was one of Earth’s last frontiers, but now the continent is under threat from human activity. An international team of …
Roadmap to net zero
25 January, 2023 by David Wilkins
Here at British Antarctic Survey, we recently opened our doors to over 40 companies in science, technology, and green innovation to help us make the next steps in reaching net …
The need for increased protection of Antarctica’s inland waters
1 April, 2023 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Protection of Antarctica's biodiversity and ecosystem values is enshrined in the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which provides for the designation of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs)…Read more on The need for increased protection of Antarctica’s inland waters
Berlin statement on legacy and emerging contaminants in polar regions
29 March, 2023 by Kevin Hughes
Polar regions should be given greater consideration with respect to the monitoring, risk assessment, and management of potentially harmful chemicals, consistent with requirements of the precautionary principle. Protecting the vulnerable…Read more on Berlin statement on legacy and emerging contaminants in polar regions
Horizon scanning for potential invasive non-native species across the United Kingdom Overseas Territories
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…Untangling unexpected terrestrial conservation challenges arising from the historical human exploitation of marine mammals in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean
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…Advancing Antarctic climate change policy: Upcoming opportunities for scientists and policymakers to work together [Editorial]
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),…Non-native species in Antarctic terrestrial environments: how climate change and increasing human activity are compounding the threat of invasion
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…Threat management priorities for conserving Antarctic biodiversity
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
Ant-ICON – ‘Integrated Science to Inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation’: a new SCAR Scientific Research Programme
8 December, 2022 by Jasmine Lee, Kevin Hughes
Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments are facing increasing pressure from multiple threats. The Antarctic Treaty System regularly looks to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) for the provision of…Antimicrobial resistance in Antarctica: is it still a pristine environment?
6 May, 2022 by Kevin Hughes, Kudzai Hwengwere, Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark
Although the rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly in relation to clinical settings, is causing concern in many regions of the globe, remote, extreme environments, such as Antarctica, are…Read more on Antimicrobial resistance in Antarctica: is it still a pristine environment?
Developing resilience to climate change impacts in Antarctica: An evaluation of Antarctic Treaty System protected area policy
1 October, 2021 by John Turner, Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Antarctica is increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts, with the continent predicted to warm by ∼4 °C by 2100 under a ‘business as usual’ greenhouse gas emission scenario. Simultaneously, human…The future of UK Antarctic science: Strategic priorities, essential needs and opportunities for international leadership
1 October, 2021 by Anna Jones, Kevin Hughes, Michael Meredith, Mervyn Freeman, Nadine Johnston, Peter Convey
• The Antarctic region has been experiencing rapid change in recent decades due to human induced factors. Most notably, climate heating is causing ice sheet melting, leading to sea level…
Global connectivity of Southern Ocean ecosystems
4 August, 2021 by Chester Sands, David Barnes, Eugene Murphy, Geraint Tarling, Jennifer Jackson, Kevin Hughes, Nadine Johnston, Philip Trathan, Richard Phillips, Rachel Cavanagh, Ryan Saunders, Sally Thorpe
Southern Ocean ecosystems are globally important. Processes in the Antarctic atmosphere, cryosphere, and the Southern Ocean directly influence global atmospheric and oceanic systems. Southern Ocean biogeochemistry has also been shown…Read more on Global connectivity of Southern Ocean ecosystems
Local drivers of change in Southern Ocean ecosystems: Human activities and policy implications
24 June, 2021 by Claire Waluda, David Barnes, Huw Griffiths, Jennifer Jackson, Kevin Hughes, Simon Morley, Susie Grant
Local drivers are human activities or processes that occur in specific locations, and cause physical or ecological change at the local or regional scale. Here, we consider marine and land-derived…
International response under the Antarctic Treaty System to the establishment of a non-native fly in Antarctica
1 June, 2021 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
Antarctica currently has few non-native species, compared to other regions of the planet, due to the continent’s isolation, extreme climatic conditions and the lack of habitat. However, human activity, particularly…
Ecosystem services in Antarctica: Global assessment of the current state, future challenges and managing opportunities
1 June, 2021 by Kevin Hughes, Susie Grant
Antarctic ecosystem services are rich and diverse and include global climate modulation, biodiversity and habitat protection, cultural heritage, scientific knowledge, education and recreation as well as the extraction of marine…
The effectiveness of Virkon® S disinfectant against the invasive chironomid Eretmoptera murphyi and implications for Antarctic biosecurity practices
1 February, 2021 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey
The flightless midge Eretmoptera murphyi is thought to be continuing its invasion of Signy Island via the treads of personnel boots. Current boot-wash biosecurity protocols in the Antarctic region rely…
Future risk for Southern Ocean ecosystem services under climate change
14 January, 2021 by David Barnes, Eugene Murphy, Kevin Hughes, Michael Meredith, Rachel Cavanagh, Simeon Hill, Susie Grant
The Southern Ocean supports ecosystem services that are important on a global scale. Climate change and human activities (tourism, fishing, and research) will affect both the demand for, and the…Read more on Future risk for Southern Ocean ecosystem services under climate change
Ocean currents as a potential dispersal pathway for Antarctica’s most persistent non-native terrestrial insect
1 January, 2021 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey, Sally Thorpe
The non-native midge Eretmoptera murphyi is Antarctica’s most persistent non-native insect and is known to impact the terrestrial ecosystems. It inhabits by considerably increasing litter turnover and availability of soil…Global drivers on Southern Ocean ecosystems: changing physical environments in an Earth system
15 December, 2020 by David Barnes, Kevin Hughes, Simon Morley
The manuscript assesses the current and expected future global drivers of Southern Ocean (SO) ecosystems. Atmospheric ozone depletion over the Antarctic since the 1970s, has been a key driver, resulting…
