Tag: British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

• Monday, February 20th 2017 - 21:27 UTC

  South Georgia gentoo penguins feed preferably on krill, shows 22 year BAS study

  

  The longest and most comprehensive study to date of what penguins eat is published this month. The study, published in the journal Marine Biology, examines the diets of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) at Bird Island, South Georgia over a 22 year period and is part of a project investigating the Southern Ocean ecosystem and its response to change

• Thursday, January 19th 2017 - 20:43 UTC

  BAS will shut down Antarctica's Halley VI in winter because of ice shelf crack

  

  British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has decided not to winter at Halley VI Research Station for safety reasons. The station, which is located on the floating Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica, will shut down between March and November 2017.

• Wednesday, January 18th 2017 - 12:05 UTC

  HMS Protector recovers equipment abandoned in remote Antarctic island

  

  Personnel from HMS Protector have removed equipment abandoned more than 30 years ago on a remote island in Antarctica. The ice patrol ship attempted to remove equipment three years ago from Brabant Island – the second largest island of the Palmer Archipelago within the British Antarctic Territory – but were thwarted by bad weather.

• Saturday, November 19th 2016 - 12:02 UTC

  European scientists in Antarctica trying to locate the oldest ice on Earth

  

  A team of European scientists heads to East Antarctica this month to locate the oldest ice on Earth. The team is part of an EU-funded research consortium from ten European countries whose aim is to search for a suitable site to drill an ice core to capture 1.5 million years of Earth’s climate history.

• 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.