Antarctica

• Friday, November 10th 2017 - 10:12 UTC

  Plunge into South Georgia freezing waters to lobby for marine sanctuaries

  

  The United Kingdom government has been urged to create a marine sanctuary around islands in the South Atlantic which are “virtually untouched by humans”. Fully protecting 500,000 square kilometers around the South Sandwich Islands would preserve wildlife including penguins, seals, seabirds and whales, conservationists said.

• Monday, October 16th 2017 - 11:30 UTC

  Massive starvation of Adelie penguin chicks; allegedly extensive ice late in summer to blame

  

  Thousands of Adelie penguin chicks died in Antarctica early this year, in an event now prompting conservationists to call for the urgent protection of east Antarctic waters. Scientists studying a colony of more than 18,000 pairs of Adelie penguins in the French Antarctic territory, Adelie Land, discovered only two chicks had survived at the start of 2017. The rest of the chicks had starved.

• Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 16:37 UTC

  China's Sinopec considering selling assets in Santa Cruz, Argentina

  

  Argentina’s losses on its oil and gas assets, as well as its labor disputes, have prompted China’s Sinopec to consider selling its operations in the country. Sinopec advisors have offered up some of its assets to about a dozen large firms from the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Russia, it was reported on Monday and confirmed in Beijing media.

• Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 02:20 UTC

  New map of South Georgia by British Antarctic Survey unveiled

  

  A team of cartographers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has re-produced a high-resolution updated map of the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. The island, situated at 37°W 54°10’S is a haven for wildlife, a centre for wildlife and fisheries research and famous for the epic voyage by Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men just over a century ago.

• Thursday, October 5th 2017 - 10:15 UTC

  Growing number of Chinese tourists visit Antarctica, but with carbon credits

  

  The number of Chinese visitors to the Antarctic Peninsula is growing rapidly, adding to concerns over the fragile ecosystem. It’s almost a three-week trip and will cost at least 100,000 Yuan (US$15,000), and before a foot is set on frozen land, special boots are needed to walk over a sponge mat soaked in disinfectant. Besides this season Chinese tourists will have to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions.

• Monday, October 2nd 2017 - 14:12 UTC

  Supplies in Falklands ready for shipping to Antarctica's Port Lockroy, the most remote post office

  

  Brooms to clean bird droppings, along with thousands of toy penguins, are among tons of items being shipped out to the UK's most remote post office. Each year, four scientists become postmasters, manning the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust's post office at Port Lockroy in Antarctica for four months.

• Saturday, September 30th 2017 - 13:01 UTC

  Environmentalists call for conservation measures in South Sandwich Islands area

  

  Environmental groups are coercing U.K. to protect and preserve one of the most remote area of the Antarctic. The South Sandwich Islands, on the edge of Antarctic remains rugged and uninhabited.

• Tuesday, September 26th 2017 - 18:45 UTC

  Jumbo 100sq-miles iceberg breaks off from Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica

  

  An enormous Antarctic glacier has given up an iceberg over 100 square miles in size, the second time in two years it has lost such a large piece in a process that has scientists wondering if its behavior is changing for the worse.

• Tuesday, September 26th 2017 - 10:19 UTC

  IAATO and Argentina step up collaborative efforts to promote responsible tourism

  

  Improvements to Ushuaia Port services and future collaboration between the Antarctic cruise industry and the Argentine government were discussed last week at a meeting organized by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Fuegian Institute of Tourism (In.Fue.Tur).

• Tuesday, September 19th 2017 - 09:54 UTC

  Joint AECO/IAATO conference to promote responsible polar tourism

  

  More than 90 representatives from the Arctic and Antarctic expedition cruise industry will gather in Iceland for the second AECO/IAATO conference to be held in October 1/4. The topic of the conference is evolution and new challenges in the polar tourism industry.