Review of Scientific Research Conducted in Horseshoe Island Where Potential Place for Turkish Antarctic Base

Abstract

The Antarctic Continent, which has the most challenging environmental-field conditions such as high cost logistics needs, extreme weather events, and natural elements that makes impossible to live for most of the living things including humans, in terms of to carry out scientific research, has hosting scientific projects of Turkish scientists in recent years. Turkish Antarctic Expeditions, continuing since 2017, have concentrated on Horseshoe Island, located in the Marguerite Bay on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, where ice melts are recorded the most due to global climate change. Since Turkey plans to establish a scientific station in the upcoming years on Horseshoe Island, reviewing all disciplines in the literature of polar research that have been done and can be done on the island is of great importance in the national polar strategy and in laying the foundation of scientific research to be carried out in the future. In this study, the researches of especially British and Turkish scientists in the region were reviewed: it was seen that many interdisciplinary studies and social science projects were also carried out. Despite the many scientific projects completed, it is seen among the results of this study that many polar research disciplines that can be applied and can give direction to world science can still be conduct on the region.