Antarctica

• Wednesday, April 29th 2020 - 09:36 UTC

  Ozone layer hole over the Arctic has closed and has been linked to Europe's warmest winter

  

  The largest hole ever observed in the ozone layer over the Arctic has closed, says Copernicus' Atmospheric Monitoring Service. Scientists spotted signs in late March of a rare hole forming and it was thought to be the result of low temperatures at the north pole.

• Tuesday, April 28th 2020 - 15:35 UTC

  New research shows sustainable fishing and conservation can coexist

  

  By surfbirds (*) – Our oceans are in trouble. Globally, poor fishing practices are directly damaging to marine wildlife, and overfishing can deplete food resources for animals such as seabirds and seals. However, research by BirdLife's Marine Program, in association with scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, (BAS) and the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), shows that under current climate conditions, sustainable fisheries can exist alongside conservation measures for seabirds and seals in a well-managed Marine Protected Area.

• Tuesday, April 28th 2020 - 08:17 UTC

  Antarctica's Rothera new wharf becomes operational and is waiting for RRS Sir David Attenborough

  

  A new £40 million wharf to moor the RRS Sir David Attenborough has been used by polar ships for the first time at British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Research Station in Antarctica to transport staff and materials back to the UK.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2020 - 07:49 UTC

  South Georgia remains free of COVID-19; Grytviken closed to visitors until next August

  

  South Georgia remains free from COVID-19. The government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, GSGSSI, have implemented strict procedures to minimize the risk of exposure to the staff at South Georgia, and work continues in as normal a fashion as possible on the island.

• Tuesday, April 21st 2020 - 15:25 UTC

  Mussels, an invasive species, have been found in South Shetland Islands Antarctic waters

  

  Mussels are the first-ever invasive species to take up residence in Antarctica, as found by a new study published last month in Scientific Report. According to the study, scientists found a colony of mussels, most likely transported accidentally to the frozen continent from Patagonia via ship, some 75 miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula.

• Tuesday, April 21st 2020 - 13:36 UTC

  “Greg Mortimer” crew members and medical chief officer demand repatriation: “we also have a home country”

  

  The last cruise of “Greg Mortimer” when it left Ushuaia on March 15th was an invitation to disaster, and now “we are asking for a humanitarian corridor to take us, as they did with passengers, to our home countries”, said Mauricio Usme, chief medical officer on board the Aurora Expeditions vessel.

• Friday, April 17th 2020 - 09:31 UTC

  Falklands' patrol vessel HMS Forth maiden visit to South Georgia

  

  The Falkland Islands' patrol vessel HMS Forth crossed 850 miles of icy ocean to patrol the waters around the South Atlantic territory’s archipelago of South Georgia. The 2,000-ton ship arrived in the Falklands at the beginning of the year as the islands’ new patrol ship, replacing the smaller HMS Clyde.

• Thursday, April 16th 2020 - 17:13 UTC

  Greg Mortimer: Australian PM thanked Uruguay’s humanitarian action

  

  After the departure from Montevideo of the last medical flight with passengers of the stranded Antarctic cruise Greg Mortimer, the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, sent a letter to Uruguay’s President, Luis Lacalle Pou, acknowledging the action of his government for its collaboration with Australian citizens.

• Wednesday, April 15th 2020 - 13:51 UTC

  Argentina is readying to announce terms of the US$ 83bn debt restructure

  

  Argentina is expected to announce an offer to restructure US$ 83 billion in foreign-currency bonds any moment as it tries to avoid default, despite shutting down the economy to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

• Wednesday, April 15th 2020 - 10:55 UTC

  Second humanitarian corridor for Greg Mortimer's passengers will depart this Wednesday

  

  The Uruguayan government announced on Tuesday that it will evacuate the remaining passengers on the Antarctic cruise ship Greg Mortimer through a second humanitarian corridor. There will be about 15 passengers who have remained in the ship anchored in front of the port of Montevideo, where there are people with the COVID-19 disease.