Antarctica

• Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 22:55 UTC

  Polar Star passengers disembarked in King George Island

  

  Polar Star Expeditions reported that following an underwater inspection of the MV Polar Star’s outer hull, it has decided to disembark the ship’s 80 passengers at King George Island in the South Shetland Islands as a precautionary measure before crossing the Drake Passage and returning to Ushuaia, Argentina.

• Tuesday, February 1st 2011 - 14:10 UTC

  Chilean president flies to Antarctica but “will avoid” contact with Punta Arenas

  

  Chilean president Sebastián Piñera is expected next Friday in Punta Arenas airport en route to Antarctica with his Ecuadorean counterpart Rafael Correa, but will avoid all contact with locals, reports La Prensa Austral.

• Tuesday, February 1st 2011 - 12:47 UTC

  Polar Star cruise assessing damage after grounding accident off Antarctic Peninsula

  

  Cruise vessel MV Polar Star with 115 people on board was temporarily grounded Monday morning off the Antarctica peninsula but managed to free itself with no injuries reported and no fuel leaks according to the Argentine Navy.

• Monday, January 31st 2011 - 20:48 UTC

  Loss of Antarctic glacial ice expected to trigger changes in ocean circulation patterns

  

  The loss of a massive “tongue” of glacial ice on the Antarctic coast — a natural protective barrier nearly the size of Luxembourg (2.500 square kilometers) — could affect ocean circulation patterns and anticipate changes to come from global warming, scientists on a mission to the frozen continent say.

• Tuesday, January 18th 2011 - 01:28 UTC

  Cruise news: A new chapter in Antarctic Expedition Cruising

  

  Over the past decade, consumer interest in Antarctica has increased exponentially, with a number of expedition cruise companies operating two- and three-week voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula, the Falklands Islands and South Georgia.

• Thursday, January 13th 2011 - 14:59 UTC

  New Royal Navy Icebreaker for Falklands and Antarctic patrol

  

  The Royal Navy has revealed it is replacing flood-damaged HMS Endurance with an icebreaker to be named HMS Protector.

• Monday, January 10th 2011 - 06:33 UTC

  Wikileaks uncovers secret whaling agreement between U.S. and Japan involving Sea Shepard

  

  Recent Wikileaks cables have exposed classified material sent by the United States embassy in Tokyo to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

• Tuesday, January 4th 2011 - 18:57 UTC

  Antarctica Cruise Canceled After 'Signs of Wear' Are Discovered

  

  There's more trouble in Antarctica, but this time, the notoriously rough Drake Passage isn't to blame. Citing mechanical problems, small-ship adventure operator Abercrombie & Kent has canceled a 15-night Antarctic cruise on the 264-passenger Le Boreal that was slated to depart from Ushuaia on Tuesday.

• Monday, December 27th 2010 - 08:20 UTC

  Chilean Senate drafts bill to combat illegal fishing in Antarctic convergence area

  

  The Chilean Senate Committee on Fisheries approved the project that modifies the Fisheries Law and severe establishes penalties for illegal catches in the Antarctic convergence area. The next step is a vote on the floor that seems secured given the committee’s outcome.

• Saturday, December 25th 2010 - 08:34 UTC

  US scientists looking into data suggesting sustained decline of Antarctic krill

  

  By Susan Moran - They’re called “the krillers” around Palmer Station, because they’re always on the hunt for Antarctic krill: tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans that form the foundation of the Antarctic food web.