Antarctica

Tuesday, November 10th 2009 - 11:37 UTC
Phytoplankton flourishes in Antarctic open areas of water where ice retreated

Large blooms of tiny marine plants called phytoplankton are flourishing in areas of open water left exposed by the recent and rapid melting of ice shelves and glaciers around the Antarctic Peninsula.
Tuesday, November 3rd 2009 - 11:15 UTC
Buenos Aires looking forward to a “very good cruise season”

Buenos Aires City is looking forward to what it considers a “very good cruise season” with the number of visitors increasing 11% and the number of calls 15%, according to Hernán Lombardi Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Argentine capital.
Monday, November 2nd 2009 - 14:09 UTC
Antarctica cruise season begins in Ushuaia; 225 calls anticipated this year

With the departure last week of icebreaker “Kapitan Khlebnikov” (*), Ushuaia marked the beginning of the Antarctica cruise season. Located in the extreme south of Argentina Ushuaia has become the gateway for Antarctic cruises virtually monopolizing 92% of the traffic
Friday, October 30th 2009 - 22:13 UTC
State of the art HMS Scott takes over Ice Patrol HMS Endurance Antarctica duties

The Royal Navy's advanced deep water survey ship HMS Scott was deployed this week to the Antarctic for the first time. She will take over patrolling and surveying duties in Antarctica and the South Atlantic from Ice Patrol HMS Endurance.
Friday, October 30th 2009 - 06:14 UTC
Argentina’s Air Force Antarctic Marambio base celebrates fortieth anniversary

The Argentine Air Force commemorated on Thursday October 29 the fortieth anniversary of Air Base Vice-Commodore Gustavo Marambio, Argentina’s main logistic support in Antarctica which has seen uninterrupted activity since then.
Friday, October 30th 2009 - 03:14 UTC
China elaborating the “most complete” map of Antarctica

Chinese scientists are expected to conclude the most complete and precise map of Antarctica during their current expedition to the frozen continent. Although much of Antarctica has been chartered and collected in maps by different countries this latest edition to be finished at the end of this year has been described “as the most complete so far”, according to a report in the Global Times.
Friday, October 16th 2009 - 05:25 UTC
Argentine wheat crop, and export surplus, lowest of 32 harvests

With the lowest wheat area in 111 years, Argentina expects a 2009/10 crop of 7.5 million tons, the worst in the last 32 seasons, which means exports, --and tax revenue--, will be ten times less than the 2007/08 crop according to the Argentine Rural Society Economics Department.
Wednesday, October 14th 2009 - 06:15 UTC
China begins 26th Antarctica season with a team of 251 scientists

Chinese scientists have set off from Shanghai for their 26th research mission to the Antarctic. The “Snow Dragon”, China's main research ship in the polar region, has gone through a series of maintenance and technical readjustments, according to Global Times.
Monday, October 12th 2009 - 08:28 UTC
Punta Arenas anticipates a weaker 2009/2010 cruise season

Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile is anticipating a weaker cruise season for this 2009/2010 summer because of the global crisis. The number of calls is expected to drop 12.3% (17 less) totalling 79.950 passengers and 38.357 crew members, according to Punta Arenas Austral Port Authority, EPA.
Thursday, October 8th 2009 - 04:17 UTC
IAATO members’ passenger ships will be fitted with satellite tracking devices

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) has approved a resolution requiring members' passenger ships to be fitted with satellite tracking devices based on Iridium (Iridium Communications Inc.). The devices will report ships' positions at least once per hour when cruising in Antarctic waters.