Antarctica

• Monday, June 17th 2019 - 15:14 UTC

  Bank of Estonia will celebrate bicentenary of Antarctica's discovery with a €2 coin

  

  The Bank of Estonia has unveiled last 14 June the design that has been approved to mark the bicentenary anniversary of the first discovery of Antarctica, which will be celebrated in 2020, according to Coin Update News.

• Wednesday, June 12th 2019 - 09:12 UTC

  Antarctica tour operates announces new restrictions on commercial drone use by visitors

  

  The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators has announced robust new restrictions on commercial drone use in Antarctica. The constraints, voted in at IAATO’s annual meeting in Cape Town, South Africa (April 30 – May 3), mean those using Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for commercial purposes on IAATO vessels will have new restrictions limiting piloting opportunities.

• Thursday, June 6th 2019 - 07:00 UTC

  Busiest day of the year for Antarctic Tour Operators as IAATO Ship Scheduler opens

  

  The Antarctic travel season may still be months away, but responsible Antarctic tour operators from across the globe experienced their busiest day of the year on Tuesday, June 5, as the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators’ (IAATO) Ship Scheduler opens.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2019 - 09:07 UTC

  Antarctica Tour Operators pledge to turn tide on plastics with new waste reduction guidelines

  

  The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) has pledged to turn the tide on plastics with new guidelines set to reduce single-use plastic use among visitors to the white continent.

• Tuesday, June 4th 2019 - 09:51 UTC

  New wharf for South Georgia: extra berth for polar vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough

  

  An £8.15 million contract to build a new wharf at the remote Sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia is awarded to BAM Nuttall this week. The contract is part of a major investment programme to modernize the UK’s Antarctic infrastructure.

• Friday, May 17th 2019 - 09:39 UTC

  IAATO Operators redevelop Ship Scheduler process to prepare for tourism growth

  

  The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) is redeveloping its ship scheduling process, as part of its commitment to ‘leave only footprints’ through the effective self-management of guest activities.

• Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:50 UTC

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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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.