Tag: British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

• Tuesday, November 1st 2016 - 14:21 UTC

  Gentoo penguins proving to be the sturdiest in Antarctica

  

  A forty year study on a remote Antarctic island shows that while populations of two penguin species are declining, while a third is increasing. Analysis of census data from Signy Island in the South Orkney Islands reveals that, between 1978 and 2016, the number of chinstrap penguin pairs declined by nearly 70%.

• Monday, October 17th 2016 - 06:28 UTC

  Uruguayan scientists on HMS Protector en route to Antarctica for a joint research project

  

  Two Uruguayan young scientists are on board Ice Patrol HMS Protector en route to the Falkland Islands and Antarctica and will be participating in a research program on human impact on the Antarctic marine environment including pollution mainly by plastic made products. Federico Weinstein and Carolina Rodríguez belong to the Faculty of Sciences and represent the resumption of long standing links between the Ice Patrol and Montevideo.

• Tuesday, August 9th 2016 - 22:18 UTC

  Seabirds threatened by by-catches, pollutants and climate change, according to BAS research

  

  A review of breeding distributions, population trends, threats and key priorities for conservation actions on land and at sea for the 29 species covered by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) has been published in the journal Biological Conservation. It reveals increased conservation efforts are required in order to secure a sustainable future for albatrosses and large petrels.

• Tuesday, July 26th 2016 - 17:33 UTC

  A recent pause in Antarctic Peninsula warming

  

  The rapid warming of the Antarctic Peninsula, which occurred from the early-1950s to the late 1990s, has paused. Stabilisation of the ozone hole along with natural climate variability were significant in bringing about the change. Together these influences have now caused the northern part of the peninsula to enter a temporary cooling phase.

• Friday, February 26th 2016 - 06:38 UTC

  Falklands' Gentoo penguins practice “kleptoparasitism”, shows study by South African scientist

  

  Penguins in addition to being stealthy swimmers and keen hunters, unique video footage has revealed a dark side: a video camera attached to the back of a gentoo penguin swimming off the Falkland Islands captures a violent underwater scuffle where penguins steal food right out of each other’s beaks.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2016 - 07:04 UTC

  Ice Patrol HMS Protector concludes historic five week patrol to East Antarctica and Ross Sea

  

  The Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol ship has just completed a historic five week patrol to the East Antarctic and Ross Sea. HMS Protector is the first Royal Navy, or UK Government, vessel to have visited the region in 80 years or to have travelled so far south having dipped below 77 degrees latitude.

• Thursday, November 26th 2015 - 17:39 UTC

  UK's Cammell Laird will build BAS new £200 million polar research ship

  

  The Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird said it saw off competition from Europe and beyond including Korea and Singapore to be selected as the preferred bidder to build a new vessel for the UK-funded Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The contract was signed last week and it is expected that full production will start in June next year, and on completion the vessel will be operated by NERC’s British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

• Wednesday, October 14th 2015 - 05:57 UTC

  UK's new polar ship to be built in Britain; delivery scheduled for 2019

  

  The U.K. Government announced on Monday that Cammell Laird in Birkenhead has been selected as the preferred bidder to build the nation’s new £200 million polar research ship. The decision follows a 12-month competitive tender process that involved bids from companies in the U.K., Spain, Norway, Singapore and South Korea.

• Friday, October 9th 2015 - 08:04 UTC

  Scientists flock to Falklands for vital South Georgia future research strategy

  

  Fifteen scientists from institutes around the world gathered in the Falkland Islands this week to assess future scientific requirements for South Georgia. Project manager Dr Vicky Peck from the British Antarctic Survey based in Cambridge explained that the South Georgia Future Science project wanted to identify what the scientific needs of the island were and how they could best be facilitated.

• Saturday, February 28th 2015 - 07:03 UTC

  HMS Protector in cleanup and surveying tasks in South Georgia

  

  The men and women of HMS Protector have helped the South Georgia Government by carrying out a beach cleanup and glacier survey. 700 miles east of the Falklands, South Georgia is a crescent shaped island with magnificent scenery and wildlife. But over the years debris from several shipwrecks has been washed up on the island’s beaches.