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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, November 27th 2024 - 03:38 UTC

Antarctica

  • Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:50 UTC

    Vital role of penguins and seals poo for Antarctica bio-diversity

    A study found the influential excrement supported thriving communities of mosses and lichens, which in turn sustained vast numbers of microscopic animals

    For more than half a century, biologists studying Antarctica focused their research on understanding how organisms cope with the continent's severe drought and the coldest conditions on the planet. One thing they didn't really factor in, however, was the role played by the nitrogen-rich droppings from colonies of cute penguins and seals - until now.

  • Saturday, May 4th 2019 - 09:52 UTC

    Antarctic Tour Operators introduce mandatory measures to prevent whale strikes

    IAATO members approved new measures that would instruct member operators to commit to either a 10kn speed restriction within a specific geo-fenced time-area on the Antarctic Peninsula

    Members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) have unanimously voted in mandatory measures to prevent whale strikes in cetacean-rich Antarctic waters during their annual meeting this year held in Cape Town, South Africa.

  • Friday, May 3rd 2019 - 21:19 UTC

    IAATO: New Measures to Manage Growth

    “Visiting Antarctica is a privilege and we all have a responsibility to keep it pristine”, said IAATO's Lisa Kelly

    The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) closed its annual meeting in Cape Town with multiple new measures in support of its mission for safe, environmentally responsible Antarctic travel, according to a statement.

  • Saturday, April 27th 2019 - 09:43 UTC

    Oceans teeming with viruses, from North to South Pole and down to 4000 meters deep

    Researchers at Ohio State University drew up a global map of marine viruses based on seawater samples from nearly 80 sites around the world

    The oceans contain almost 200,000 different viral populations, according to the latest count. Marine viruses were found from the surface down to 4,000m deep and from the North to the South Pole. Though most are harmless to humans, they can infect marine life, including whales and crustaceans.

  • Friday, April 26th 2019 - 06:32 UTC

    HMS Protector returns to Plymouth for first time in four years

    HMS Protector spent a lot of her time in Antarctica supporting scientists and surveying the channels and waterways around the frozen continent.

    The ship has spent time in Antarctica supporting scientists and surveying the channels and waterways. HMS Protector has returned to Plymouth for the first time in four years. The ship spent a lot of her time in Antarctica supporting scientists and surveying the channels and waterways around the frozen continent.

  • Thursday, April 25th 2019 - 10:38 UTC

    World Penguin Day: raise awareness with the hashtag #WorldPenguinDay

    According to the State of Antarctic Penguins Report 2017, there is estimated to be 12 million penguins

    World Penguin Day is observed annually on April 25 recognizing the aquatic birds. In the world, there are 17 species of penguins with Southern hemisphere as their natural habitat. April 25 was chosen as World Penguin Day as it marks the date when Adelie penguins begin their migration northward toward Antartica.

  • Thursday, April 25th 2019 - 09:30 UTC

    Thousands of emperor penguin chicks died in 2016 destroyed by severe weather, reports a BAS team

    It is possible even from 800km up to spot the animals' excrement, or guano, on the white ice and then to estimate the likely size of any gathering.

    Thousands of emperor penguin chicks drowned when the sea-ice on which they were being raised was destroyed in severe weather. The catastrophe occurred in 2016 in Antarctica's Weddell Sea. Scientists say the colony at the edge of the Brunt Ice Shelf has collapsed with adult birds showing no sign of trying to re-establish the population.

  • Monday, April 22nd 2019 - 09:14 UTC

    Russian billionaire announces first private icebreaker: Antarctica cruise in 2022

    SeaExplorer 77 is an expedition yacht, which can break ice up to 40 centimeters thick and maintain autonomy at sea for up to 40 days

    One of the top 50 richest Russians, banker Oleg Tinkov, wants to present what he calls a first private icebreaker to the public next year, before the €100 million vessel sets sail to the Antarctic among other destinations.

  • Monday, April 8th 2019 - 06:20 UTC

    Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctic with BAS Halley Station is calving

    The Brunt Ice Shelf is a large floating area of ice, around 150m to 250m thick, and is made up of freshwater ice which originally fell as snow further inland (Pic BAS)

    Glaciology experts have issued evidence that a large section of the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica, which is home to the British Antarctic Survey's Halley Research Station, is about break off. The rifting started several years ago and is now approaching its final phase.

  • Saturday, March 30th 2019 - 16:14 UTC

    Russia to celebrate 200th anniversary discovery of Antarctica by Bellingshausen

    In honor of this event, plans are underway for the round-the-world sailing of the tall ships Pallada, Sedov and Krusenstern in 2019-2020.

    Russia's tall ships are to undertake a round-the-world trip to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Antarctica's discovery by the Bellingshausen-Lazarev expedition, according to official information from Moscow. In effect, 2020 marks the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica by the expedition led by Fabian Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. In honor of this event, plans are underway for the round-the-world sailing of the tall ships Pallada, Sedov and Krusenstern in 2019-2020.