Antarctic Territory Research Articles

The United Nations' General Assembly High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance: a joint statement from the Heads of Government and Chief Medical Officers of the United Kingdom's Overseas Territories.

The UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are small, often remote territories with historical and territorial links to the UK. They range from densely populated areas (Cayman, Bermuda, Gibraltar) to land with no permanent inhabitants (British Antarctic Territory, South Georgia). However, they are linked by ecosystem instability (the permacrisis) including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), climate change and biodiversity disruption. The Chief Medical Officers of the UKOTs met in June 2024 and were unanimous in their concerns about the threat of global AMR. They have issued this statement on their hopes and expectations for the United Nations' General Assembly High-Level Meeting, in September 2024. These may be summarized by the hope of achieving united and sustained global political will to reduce the threat of AMR by equitable access to treatments, prevention of AMR by sanitation and accurate diagnostics, and education in health care and the public.

A PPP kinematic application on historical GPS data: the reprocessing of the ITASE98-99 Antarctica mission height profiles

The analysis of altimetric profiles in Antarctica and their evolution over the years is a sensitive topic for the scientific community since it helps understand the effects of climate change that the continent undergoes. Different geomatic techniques, including the GNSS technology, can be employed to obtain altimetric profiles. However, the GNSS differenced approaches, such as the Post Processing Kinematic, are hardly usable to define long profiles in Antarctica because of the low number of CORS stations. In these conditions, the Precise Point Positioning (PPP) approach is a valid alternative to avoid processing very long baselines. The aim of this article is to define a standard procedure for the processing of historical GPS data, thanks to the availability of a dataset from the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition, which took place between 1998 and 1999 (ITASE98-99). This expedition focused on mapping the Antarctic territory, subdividing it by nations of influence, using geophysical and geodetic technologies, including GPS. The altimetric profiles had already been calculated in 2002 by the Geomatics group of the University of Bologna using the Gipsy-OASIS II software. In this work, the new version of the JPL software, GipsyX, is used to apply the newly implemented models and reprocessed products. The calibration of the processing parameters leading to the final PPP solution is described in the paper, including details on the implementation of a post-processing filtering procedure. The average a posteriori elevation error is 4.6 cm, while 99% of them are within 27 cm. The comparison of the new results to both the previous processing and the REMA elevation model shown that about double the number of solutions are now available, meter-level elevation spikes have been avoided, and a half meter bias is now reduced to a few centimeters. Given the almost 15 years difference between the 1999.0 expedition epoch and the REMA reference epoch, the obtained results can be used to study accumulation/erosion effects on the Antarctica ice sheet.

Lack of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica, Early 2023.

In January 2023, an active surveillance initiative was undertaken in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, with the specific objective of ascertaining evidence for the presence of avian influenza, and specifically the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 (HPAIV H5N1). The investigation encompassed diverse locations, including Hanna Point (Livingston Island), Lions Rump (King George Island), and Base Escudero (King George Island), with targeted observations on marine mammals (southern elephant seals), flying birds (the kelp gull, snowy sheathbill and brown skua), and penguins (the chinstrap penguin and gentoo penguin). The study encompassed the examination of these sites for signs of mass mortality events possibly attributable to HPAIV H5N1, as well as sampling for influenza detection by means of real-time RT-PCR. Two hundred and seven (207) samples were collected, including 73 fecal samples obtained from the environment from marine mammals (predominantly feces of southern elephant seals), and 77 cloacal samples from penguins of the genus Pygoscelis (predominantly from the gentoo penguin). No evidence of mass mortality attributable to HPAIV H5N1 was observed, and all the collected samples tested negative for the presence of the virus, strongly suggesting the absence of the virus in the Antarctic territory during the specified period. This empirical evidence holds significant implications for both the ecological integrity of the region and the potential zoonotic threats, underscoring the importance of continued surveillance and monitoring in the Antarctic ecosystem.

The Australian ice core programme: history, context, and bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT East Antarctic ice cores are key to Australia’s Antarctic science objectives. Australia is internationally recognised for its climate contributions relating to impurities, greenhouse gases, and water stable isotope studies. These factors make the Australian ice core programme an effective case study to demonstrate the usefulness of bibliometric studies in understanding the broader impacts of scientific research. This work presents a bibliometric analysis of Australian-authored and/or funded ice core publications from within the Australian Antarctic Territory over the programme’s 50 years (1972–2022). This work also discusses the history and chronology of Australia’s ice core programme to contextualise the results of the bibliometric analysis. These are illustrated by examining the key drilling locations, such as Law Dome, and the resultant research which establishes Australia as a global leader in producing high-resolution ice core records from coastal East Antarctic sites. This article demonstrates the applicability of bibliometric studies to identify themes of research that are intended to inform international and domestic policies for the betterment of society.

Commonalities between the Atacama Desert and Antarctica rhizosphere microbial communities.

Plant-microbiota interactions have significant effects on plant growth, health, and productivity. Rhizosphere microorganisms are involved in processes that promote physiological responses to biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. In recent years, the interest in microorganisms to improve plant productivity has increased, mainly aiming to find promising strains to overcome the impact of climate change on crops. In this work, we hypothesize that given the desertic environment of the Antarctic and the Atacama Desert, different plant species inhabiting these areas might share microbial taxa with functions associated with desiccation and drought stress tolerance. Therefore, in this study, we described and compared the composition of the rhizobacterial community associated with Deschampsia antarctica (Da), Colobanthus quitensis (Cq) from Antarctic territories, and Croton chilensis (Cc), Eulychnia iquiquensis (Ei) and Nicotiana solanifolia (Ns) from coastal Atacama Desert environments by using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. In addition, we evaluated the putative functions of that rhizobacterial community that are likely involved in nutrient acquisition and stress tolerance of these plants. Even though each plant microbial rhizosphere presents a unique taxonomic pattern of 3,019 different sequences, the distribution at the genus level showed a core microbiome with a higher abundance of Haliangium, Bryobacter, Bacillus, MND1 from the Nitrosomonadaceae family, and unclassified taxa from Gemmatiamonadaceae and Chitinophagaceae families in the rhizosphere of all samples analyzed (781 unique sequences). In addition, species Gemmatirosa kalamazoonesis and Solibacter usitatus were shared by the core microbiome of both Antarctic and Desert plants. All the taxa mentioned above had been previously associated with beneficial effects in plants. Also, this microbial core composition converged with the functional prediction related to survival under harsh conditions, including chemoheterotrophy, ureolysis, phototrophy, nitrogen fixation, and chitinolysis. Therefore, this study provides relevant information for the exploration of rhizospheric microorganisms from plants in extreme conditions of the Atacama Desert and Antarctic as promising plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

Larsemann Hills: Geomorphometric modeling and mapping

Geomorphometric modeling is widely used in geosciences. However, geomorphometric modeling and mapping of Antarctic oases has not been performed so far. This article presents the first results of our work on geomorphometric modeling and mapping of the Larsemann Hills obtained in the frameworks of the 68th Russian Antarctic Expedition in January–April 2023. As input data, we used a fragment of the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA). From the extracted and edited digital elevation model, we derived digital models and maps of the following 17 morphometric variables: slope, aspect, horizontal curvature, vertical curvature, mean curvature, Gaussian curvature, minimal curvature, maximal curvature, unsphericity curvature, difference curvature, vertical excess curvature, horizontal excess curvature, ring curvature, accumulation curvature, catchment area, topographic index, and stream power index. We also conducted a field geomorphometric interpretation work to provide correct physical geographic, geological, and geomorphological interpretations of morphometric maps. In the fieldwork, we carried out 54 foot routes with the total length of about 422 km. During the routes, we collected 150 rock samples for further petrological and mineralogical analyses as well as three-dimensional modeling of the samples. Derived morphometric maps can be useful for structural geological and process-oriented hydrological studies. The ultimate goal of the ongoing work is to create a large-scale geomorphometric atlas of Antarctic oases and other ice-free Antarctic territories.

Optimising remote health care delivery in Antarctica: a review of the current capabilities utilised in the British Antarctic Territory

ABSTRACT Injury in Antarctica can have a significant impact when considering transfer timelines of several weeks. Medical support to the British Antarctic Territory (BAT) is provided by deployed healthcare professionals and the utilisation of “reach-back” with telemedicine. This is paired with robust training and familiarisation with a system of modularised deployed equipment. This paper examines the current telemedicine strategy, infrastructure modularisation, and influence from military practice by the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit (BASMU) for medical care at extreme reach. Current telemedicine practices and utilisation, as well as modular equipment capabilities across the BAT were reviewed to provide an outline of care delivery. Requests varied from expert advice to remote supervision of clinical procedures. Integration of commercially available solutions enabled real-time display of patient physiology. The deployment of modular resources has improved equipment availability and greater standardisation between sites. The sending of case notes and digital x-rays has been generally sufficient but, when greater supervision was required, limited data transfer bandwidth was a challenge. An ongoing review of deployed equipment capabilities may also enhance the ease with which remote support can be offered but an uplift in telemedicine capability will likely require infrastructure upgrades to maintain data transfer from 8000 miles away.

Flavobacterium pygoscelis sp. nov., isolated from a chinstrap penguin chick (Pygoscelis antarcticus).

Strain I-SCBP12nT, a novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, motile-by-gliding and rod-shaped bacterium, was isolated from a chinstrap penguin chick (Pygoscelis antarcticus) during a 2015 expedition to the Chilean Antarctic territory. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed that strain I-SCBP12nT belonged to the genus Flavobacterium, being closely related to strains Flavobacterium chryseum P3160T (98.52 %), Flavobacterium hercynium WB 4.2-33T (98.47 %) and Flavobacterium chilense LM-19-FpT (98.47 %). The genome size of strain I-SCBP12nT was 3.69 Mb with DNA G+C content 31.95 mol%. Genomic comparisons of strain I-SCBP12nT with type species in the genus Flavobacterium were performed, with obtained average values near 75.17 and 84.33 % for the blast and MUMer analyses of average nucleotide identity, respectively, and 0.86 for the tetranucleotides frequency analysis. These values are far from the accepted species cut-off values. Strain I-SCBP12nT contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and the major polar lipids were aminophospholipid, an unidentified aminolipid and unidentified lipids. The predominant fatty acids (> 5 %) were iso-C14 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, iso-C16 : 1, iso-C16 : 0 3-OH, C15 : 1 ω6c and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c/C16 : 1 ω6c). Phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic data supported the assignment of strain I-SCBP12nT (=CECT 30404T=RGM 3223T) to a novel species of Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium pygoscelis sp. nov.is proposed.

Photoinduced CO2 Conversion under Arctic Conditions─The High Potential of Plasmon Chemistry under Low Temperature

The conversion of CO2 to fine chemicals is an efficient tool for reducing the negative impact of human activities on the environment. In this work, we show that CO2 capture and its sunlight-based activation can proceed efficiently even at low, practically arctic temperatures with the implementation of so-called plasmon-assisted chemistry. We propose the specific photocatalyst consisting of two parts: (i) an organic shell responsible for CO2 capture and (ii) a plasmon-active metal nanoparticle core for activation of entrapped CO2 and involving it in the cycloaddition reaction. The effect of temperature on the plasmon-assisted CO2 cycloaddition was studied, and a reaction with only slight temperature sensitivity was observed. Theoretical calculations indicated a significant decrease in the “apparent” activation barrier of the reaction under the plasmon-assisted mechanism. Our results open an opportunity for the world economy to exploit the vast Arctic and Antarctic (or close to them) territories where the powerful solar potential is practically not used yet.

Melanesian States Natural Resource Law Features

The object of the study is the relations of nature management in the Melanesian States, the subject is the legislation and doctrine in the field of exploitation of natural resources of the countries of Melanesia: the Commonwealth of Australia, the French Republic, the Republic of Vanuatu, the Republic of Fiji, the Solomon Islands, the Republic of Nauru, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Indonesia. The author examines the features of the state natural resource apparatus in various jurisdictions, first of all, the management of the environment and subsoil use by executive authorities. The article examines the institution of ownership of land and subsoil, the permissive procedure for the use of natural objects, as well as contractual and directive grounds. In addition, the author addresses the problems of implementing the norms of international maritime law, explores the legal regime of the Australian Antarctic territories. The work is a new round in the theory of natural resource law of foreign countries, the relevance of the research is due to the theoretical and practical significance of the content of the article, which reflects domestic economic interests in Oceania. The scientific novelty of the presented work lies in the originality of the conclusions and the work itself, which contains fundamentally new information on the subject of research. Legal studies of Melanesia are insignificant, one of the few Russian scientific publications about this Pacific region is presented to your attention, while the available works are largely outdated, and some jurisdictions are covered in the domestic press for the first time. The author discusses with foreign scientists, analyzing foreign doctrine and legislation, and suggests using the experience of the Solomon Islands in the Russian Federation. At the same time, violations of the implementation and implementation of the norms of international maritime law in the Pacific Ocean by the Melanesian States are noted, as well as cases of the establishment of a national legal regime of Antarctic territories; it highlights not only the seizure of resource bases by the collective West, but also the incorporation of sovereign States, which is a modern form of establishing colonial dependence.

Геоморфометрическое моделирование и картографирование антарктического оазиса Холмы Ларсеманн

Geomorphometric modeling is widely used in geosciences. However, geomorphometric modeling and mapping of Antarctic oases has not been performed so far. This article presents the first results of geomorphometric modeling and mapping of the Larsemann Hills oasis obtained in the 68th Russian Antarctic Expedition in January–April 2023. As input data, we used a fragment of the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA). From the extracted and edited digital elevation model, we derived models and maps of the following 17 morphometric variables: slope, aspect, horizontal curvature, vertical curvature, mean curvature, Gaussian curvature, minimal curvature, maximal curvature, unsphericity curvature, difference curvature, vertical excess curvature, horizontal excess curvature, ring curvature, accumulation curvature, catchment area, topographic index, and stream power index. We conducted a field geomorphometric interpretation to provide with correct physical geographic, geological, and geomorphological interpretations of morphometric maps. In this fieldwork, we carried out 54 foot routes with the total length of about 422 km. During the routes, we collected 150 rock samples for further petrological and mineralogical analyses and three-dimensional modeling of the samples. Morphometric maps can be useful for geological, geomorphological, soil, biological, and hydrological studies. The ultimate goal of the author’s multiyear project is to create a digital geomorphometric atlas of Antarctic oases and other ice-free Antarctic territories.

Metabolomic Profiling, Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibition Properties and Molecular Docking Analysis of Antarctic Lichens.

The lichen species Lecania brialmontii, Pseudephebe pubescens, and Sphaerophorus globosus are part of the prominent lichenoflora of the Antarctic territory. In this work, we report the metabolomic identification of ethanolic extracts of these species, their antioxidant and cholinesterase enzyme inhibitory activity, and conduct a molecular docking analysis with typical compounds. Eighteen compounds were identified by UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS in L. brialmontii, 18 compounds in P. pubescens, and 14 compounds in S. globosus. The content of phenolic compounds was variable among the species, ranging from 0.279 to 2.821 mg AG/g, and all three species showed high inhibition potential on the cholinesterase enzymes. Molecular docking showed important interactions between AChE and BChE with the selected compounds. This study evidences the chemical fingerprint of three species of the order Lecanorales that support the continuation of the study of other biological activities and their potential for medical research.

Textile microfibers in wild Antarctic whelk Neobuccinum eatoni (Smith, 1875) from Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica)

Antarctica has been affected directly and indirectly by human pressure for more than two centuries and recently plastic pollution has been recognized as a further potential threat for its unique biodiversity. Global long-range transport as well as local input from anthropogenic activities are potential sources of plastic pollution in both terrestrial and marine Antarctic territories. The present study evaluated the presence of microplastics in specimens of the Antarctic whelk Neobuccinum eatoni, a key species in benthic communities of the Ross Sea, one of the largest marine protected areas worldwide. To this aim, a thermo-oxidative extraction method was applied for microplastic isolation and quantification, and polymer identification was performed by manual μ-FTIR spectroscopy. Textile (semi-)synthetic or composite microfibers (length range: 0.8–5.7 mm) were found in 27.3% of whelk specimens, suggesting a low risk of bioaccumulation along Antarctic benthic food webs in the Ross Sea. Their polymer composition (of polyethylene terephthalate and cellulose-polyamide composites) matched those of outdoor technical clothing in use by the personnel of the Italian “Mario Zucchelli” station near Terra Nova Bay in the Ross Sea. Such findings indicate that sewage from base stations may act as potential local sources of textile microplastic fibers in this remote environment. More in-depth monitoring studies aiming at defining the extent of microplastic contamination related to such sources in Antarctica are encouraged.

Secondary Metabolites Isolated from Chilean Marine Algae: A Review.

Chile is in the extreme southwestern part of America, and it has an extreme length, of approximately 4300 km that increases to 8000 km considering the Chilean Antarctic Territory. Despite the large extent of its coastal territory and the diversity of geographic environments and climates associated with Chilean coasts, the research on marine resources in Chile has been rather scarce. From marine organisms found in Chilean coastal waters, algae have been the most studied, since they contain a wide range of interesting secondary metabolites that have some structural traits that make them unique and uncharacteristic. Thus, a wide structural variety of natural products including terpenoids (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, and meroterpenoids), furanones, and C15-acetogenins have been isolated and identified. This review describes the existing literature on bioprospecting and exploration of secondary metabolites from Chilean coasts.

Antarctica in the gray zone

ABSTRACT All appears quiet on Australia’s southern front – Antarctica. The continent remains a beacon of cooperation, home to a continued system of international governance and scientific engagement, lauded as a political win from the depths of the Cold War. Beneath the surface, however, this article argues that strategic competition is now building. In Antarctica, this competition takes the form of gray zone activities. This article argues that the proliferation of gray zone challenges could jeopardize the future of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). This article analyses gray zone activity in Antarctica and highlights the growing complexity Australia faces, as Canberra pursues the dual objectives of protecting Australia’s territorial claim to the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) and bolstering the ATS.

Assessing the maritime ‘rules-based order’ in Antarctica

ABSTRACT International Relations has become increasingly interested in maritime order as the oceans have emerged as a key site of strategic competition. The South China Sea has become totemic of contests between ‘free’ and ‘closed’ visions of the seas, and is viewed by some as a litmus test for China’s efforts to re-write the ‘rules-based order’ in other maritime domains. This article examines the maritime ‘rules-based order’ in Antarctica, critically examining how and why the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) matters for the Antarctic region, the Southern Ocean and mechanisms of regional governance. This article contributes to understanding the complexity of maritime order in Antarctica by using Australia’s maritime claims as a case study. Australia is the largest claimant state in Antarctica, with the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) constituting 42% of the landmass. This paper examines Australia’s contentious maritime jurisdiction and its ‘normative hedging’ strategy that simultaneously asserts maritime claims and defends collective governance mechanisms, despite the apparent dissonance between these two positions. It argues that the Antarctic region has its own unique ‘rules-based order’ and geographic realities that complicate cross-regional comparisons, and that even so-called ‘like-minded’ states interpret maritime rules in different ways.

The Kerguelen Plateau: Interactions between the Law of the Sea and the Antarctic Treaty

Australia has benefited immensely from the maritime zone provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC), particularly the provisions for the Extended Continental Shelf under Article 76. Australia’s comprehensive submission of continental shelf data to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2004 included data occurring inside the Antarctic Treaty Area for three separate Australian territories; the Australian Antarctic Territory, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Macquarie Island. This raises questions surrounding the interactions between the LOSC and the Antarctic Treaty in the Southern Ocean. The paper focuses on the Kerguelen Plateau continental shelf deliniation, offering a timely analysis of Australia’s strategic interests here, as Australia seeks to prepare a new or revised Extended Continental Shelf data submission for Williams Ridge. Australia has sought to strike a strategic balance between supporting its territorial interests and derived benefits under LOSC in the Southern Ocean, whilst maintaining and further enhancing some of the key values and norms of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). The Kergulen Plateau case represents a strategic pursuit of territorial interests, carefully balanced with a determination to strengthen Australia’s influence within the ATS and enhance the reach of its provisions, particularly in regard to environmental protection and the mining prohibition under the Madrid Protocol.

French Southern and Antarctic Territories

This is a datasheet on French Southern and Antarctic Territories.

Guardiões da Antártica: Compromisso como resultado de variáveis de identidade e atitudes ecológicas

Abstract The research is interested in both ecological and identity (social) variables involved in increasing environmental commitment to Antarctic care. Two studies with inhabitants of two cities in the extreme south, and another with a national sample from three different geographical areas (north, center and south) participated by answering a self-administered survey. The instruments measured the perception of personal responsibility for Antarctic care in the present and future, Value of Antarctica, Antarctic regional ecological identity, and environmental beliefs. The core results show that identification with the Antarctic territory is important in determining the perception of responsibility and commitment to its care, and that this process is mediated by the value given to the polar continent. This mediation was observed in both the sample of locals and nationals. These results are discussed in relation to the importance of considering identity variables when developing models that aim to promote a pro-ecological attitude.

Беспилотная аэрофотосъемка в летний сезон 67-й Российской антарктической экспедиции

The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in glaciology and cryology, as well as studying and monitoring of polar regions is one of the most rapidly developing areas of the unmanned aerial industry. An aerial photogeodetic team of the 67th Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) solved two main interrelated tasks: 1) field tests of the newest Russian UAS Geoscan 701 in Antarctic conditions and 2) carrying out unmanned aerial surveys of two Antarctic territories, characterized by fundamentally different natural conditions, in order to obtain their high-precision orthomosaics and digital elevation models (DEMs) of an ultra-high resolution. On 15 January 2022, we carried out an unmanned aerial survey of two adjacent Antarctic maritime oases Molodezhny and Vecherny and surrounding areas of the glacier (Enderby Land, East Antarctica). From 26 January to 16 February 2022, we performed an unmanned aerial survey of the Fildes Peninsula (the southwestern, free of ice cover portion of the King George Island, South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica). The survey was complicated by severe meteorological conditions (low clouds, fog, strong winds, and precipitation). Field tests of UAS Geoscan 701 have shown that the system can be successfully used for unmanned aerial survey in polar regions. After in-office photogrammetric processing of the obtained materials, orthomosaics and DEMs of the indicated territories will be obtained with a resolution of 10 and 25 cm, respectively. These will be used for creation of modern large-scale topographic maps, photographic maps, three-dimensional and geomorphometric modeling of these territories, as well as operational and scientific activities of the RAE.