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Temporary absence of warming in the northern Weddell Sea validates expected responses of Antarctic seals to sea ice change

18 June, 2025 by Claire Waluda, Derren Fox, Jaume Forcada, Michael Dunn, Stacey Adlard, Timothy Morley

The temporal abundance of Antarctic seals is known to be influenced by variation in the sea ice environment, itself affected by temperature and daylight cycles across seasons. However, the sensitivity…

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Impacts of changes in climate, cryosphere, and vegetation on freshwater supply in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau

16 June, 2025 by Hamish Pritchard

Cryosphere degradation and vegetation dynamics due to climate change on the Tibetan Plateau profoundly impact runoff and water security downstream, yet their contributions remain largely unquantified. Here, we quantify the…

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Benthic deposition and burial of total mercury and methylmercury estimated using thorium isotopes in the high-latitude North Atlantic

15 June, 2025 by Rhiannon Jones

The high-latitude oceans are regions of high mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation, especially in the form of methylmercury (MeHg), which is of great concern in terms of human and ecosystem health. In…

Read more on Benthic deposition and burial of total mercury and methylmercury estimated using thorium isotopes in the high-latitude North Atlantic

Method Dependence in Thermal Conductivity and Aerodynamic Roughness Length Estimates on a Debris‐Covered Glacier

15 June, 2025 by Michael McCarthy, Michael McCarthy

Rock debris partially covers glaciers worldwide, with varying extents and distributions, and controls sub‐debris melt rates by modifying energy transfer from the atmosphere to the ice. Two key physical properties…

Read more on Method Dependence in Thermal Conductivity and Aerodynamic Roughness Length Estimates on a Debris‐Covered Glacier

FISHGLOB: a collaborative infrastructure to bridge the gap between scientific monitoring and marine biodiversity conservation

10 June, 2025 by Martin Collins

Large-scale biodiversity assessments and conservation applications require integrated and up-to-date datasets across regions. In the oceans, monitoring is fragmented, which affects knowledge exchange and usage. Among existing monitoring programs, scientific…

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Micromolecular Adaptations in Antarctic Echinoderms: Overlapping Roles of Organic Osmolytes in Osmoregulation and Protein Stability Under Low Temperature

10 June, 2025 by Lloyd Peck, Nicholas Barrett

For osmoconforming organisms, prolonged exposure to reduced salinity requires an adjustment to intracellular osmolyte levels to ensure an osmotic balance is maintained between the cell and external sea water. However,…

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Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets

5 June, 2025 by Andrew Wood, Ashley Bennison, Janet Silk, Philip Trathan, Richard Phillips

The recent Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) sets ambitious goals but no clear pathway for how zero loss of important biodiversity areas and halting human-induced extinction of threatened species will…

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Optimisation of diesel-degradation and growth kinetic modelling by Antarctic Janthinobacterium lividum

1 June, 2025 by Peter Convey

Fuel spills pose significant pollution threats to Antarctic terrestrial environments. Biological remediation offers a sustainable solution for restoring these polluted sites. Indigenous microorganisms capable of degrading diesel hydrocarbons at low…

Read more on Optimisation of diesel-degradation and growth kinetic modelling by Antarctic Janthinobacterium lividum

Sensitivity of near-surface marine winds and wind stress in coastal Antarctica to regional atmospheric model configuration

1 June, 2025 by Hua Lu, John King, Thomas Caton Harrison, Thomas Bracegirdle

Near-surface marine winds in coastal Antarctica have global importance, as they affect ocean circulation and sea-ice variability. We test the sensitivities of simulated near-surface winds and wind stress in coastal…

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Fungal diversity present in ornithogenic soils of extreme equatorial Atlantic São Pedro and São Paulo archipelago using DNA metabarcoding

29 May, 2025 by Peter Convey

We evaluated the fungal diversity present in ornithogenically-influenced soils of the polyextreme Brazilian Archipelago of São Pedro and São Paulo, using a DNA metabarcoding approach. We detected 1,596,919 fungal DNA…

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AI sea ice forecasts for Arctic conservation: A case study predicting the timing of caribou sea ice migrations

28 May, 2025 by Ellen Bowler, James Byrne, Scott Hosking, Jeremy Wilkinson, Martin Rogers, Rachel Cavanagh, Tom Andersson

Every autumn on the south coast of Victoria Island (Nunavut, Canada), endangered Dolphin and Union (DU) caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus x pearyi) wait for sea ice to form before continuing…

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Competition drives the dispersal dynamics of two cup coral morphs in populations on the Powell Basin slopes, Weddell Sea, Antarctica

24 May, 2025 by Huw Griffiths, Rowan Whittle, Tasnuva Khan

Coexistence of ecologically similar taxa can contribute considerably to local biodiversity patterns. Deep water Southern Ocean benthic communities provide a unique setting to investigate coexistence mechanisms due to the relatively…

Read more on Competition drives the dispersal dynamics of two cup coral morphs in populations on the Powell Basin slopes, Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures of ageing and cold adaptation in the Antarctic clam Laternula elliptica

21 May, 2025 by Melody Clark

Genomic data are lacking for most Antarctic marine invertebrates, predicating our ability to understand physiological adaptation and specific life-history traits, such as longevity. The environmental stress response of the Antarctic…

Read more on Genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures of ageing and cold adaptation in the Antarctic clam Laternula elliptica

Sustainability in the laboratory: evaluating the reusability of microtitre plates for PCR and fragment detection

21 May, 2025 by Jaume Forcada

Single-use plastics (SUPs) are indispensable in laboratory research, but their disposal contributes substantially to environmental pollution. Consequently, reusing common SUP items such as microtitre plates represents a promising strategy for…

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A High‐Resolution Microscopy System for Biological Studies of Cold‐Adapted Species Under Physiological Conditions

17 May, 2025 by Anne-Pia Marty, Lloyd Peck, Melody Clark

The Antarctic seabed harbors significant biodiversity, and almost 90% of oceanic environments are permanently below 5 °C (i.e., deep sea and polar regions). However, organisms whose entire lifecycle occurs around…

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Environmental degradation and loss of polyester marker flags are major sources of localised plastic pollution in the Antarctic

15 May, 2025 by Jo Cole, Kevin Hughes, Nadia Frontier

Reducing plastic pollution of the Antarctic environment is a priority for the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP). Polyester flags mounted on…

Read more on Environmental degradation and loss of polyester marker flags are major sources of localised plastic pollution in the Antarctic

Living with uncertainty: Using multi-model large ensembles to assess emperor penguin extinction risk for the IUCN Red List

1 May, 2025 by Philip Trathan

Improved methods for identifying species at risk are needed to strengthen climate change vulnerability assessments, as current estimates indicate that up to one million species face extinction due to environmental…

Read more on Living with uncertainty: Using multi-model large ensembles to assess emperor penguin extinction risk for the IUCN Red List

Marine snow as vectors for microplastic transport: Multiple aggregation cycles account for the settling of buoyant microplastics to deep‐sea sediments

25 April, 2025

Many studies have reported the paradoxical observation of high concentrations of low‐density microplastics (plastic particles < 5 mm) in deep‐sea sediments despite their buoyancy. The incorporation of buoyant microplastics into…

Read more on Marine snow as vectors for microplastic transport: Multiple aggregation cycles account for the settling of buoyant microplastics to deep‐sea sediments

Change in iceberg calving behaviour preceded disintegration of North Sea ice shelves during the last deglaciation

24 April, 2025 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Kirkham, Kelly Hogan, Robert Larter

Understanding how regime shifts in iceberg calving behavior affect ice shelf stability remains a challenge for numerical models. This is an important question as we consider the fate of the…

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Untangling the Complexities of Larval Antarctic Krill Overwintering Success Under Climate Change

18 April, 2025 by Alison Cleary, Eugene Murphy, Nadine Johnston, Sally Thorpe, Simeon Hill

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are integral to Southern Ocean pelagic ecosystems. Winters with extensive sea ice have been linked to high post-larval krill recruitment the following spring, suggesting that sea…

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Where do we want the glaciological community to be in 2073? EDI challenges and visions from the 2023 Karthaus Summer School

14 April, 2025 by Katherine Turner

Despite the increased awareness and action towards Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), the glaciological community still experiences and perpetuates examples of exclusionary and discriminatory behavior. We here discuss the challenges…

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Proximate measurements of a giant iceberg reveal the effects of meltwater on upper ocean properties [Research briefing]

7 April, 2025 by Alexander Brearley, Kate Hendry, Natasha Lucas

Measurements from a robotic underwater vehicle reveal the impacts of meltwater from the giant iceberg A-68A on the properties of the surrounding Southern Ocean. In addition to increasing surface stratification…

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Feasibility of using very high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor Tristan albatrosses Diomedea dabbenena on Gough Island

4 April, 2025 by Ellen Bowler, Marie Attard, Peter Fretwell, Richard Phillips

The Tristan albatross Diomedea dabbenena is a Critically Endangered species that breeds exclusively on remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. Although the population continues to decline, regular on-the-ground monitoring…

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Twenty‐thousand‐year gap between deglaciation and peat formation on sub‐Antarctic Marion Island attributed to climate and sea level change

1 April, 2025 by Alexander Whittle, Dominic Hodgson

Radiocarbon dating of basal peats has been a key factor in determining minimum ages for deglaciation on sub-Antarctic islands. On Marion Island, peat bogs dominate the landscape below 300 m a.s.l.,…

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Annual trends in mercury contamination are associated with changing trophic niches of giant petrels

1 April, 2025 by Danielle Buss, Jaume Forcada, Richard Phillips, William Mills

Annual variation in prey availability can influence seabird diets and hence their exposure to pollutants, including mercury (Hg). Among seabirds, those species that scavenge carrion of marine mammals and other…

Read more on Annual trends in mercury contamination are associated with changing trophic niches of giant petrels

The role of substrate characteristics and temperature for potential non-native plant establishment in Maritime Antarctic ecosystems

1 April, 2025 by Peter Convey

Polar ecosystems are threatened by non-native plants, and this risk will increase with climate warming. Non-native plant growth depends on Antarctic environmental conditions and substrates, but these influences are poorly…

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Desmonostoc cockrellii sp. nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria): a new record of a subaerophytic species from The Habitat Penang Hill, Malaysia

1 April, 2025 by Peter Convey

Subaerophytic cyanobacterial diversity is poorly known in Malaysian rainforests generally and at Penang Hill specifically. A new subaerophytic species of cyanobacteria, Desmonostoc cockrellii sp. nov., was isolated from rocky surfaces…

Read more on Desmonostoc cockrellii sp. nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria): a new record of a subaerophytic species from The Habitat Penang Hill, Malaysia