SciencePoles news
Recent Polar Science and Climate Change news are featured here. Our news RSS feed will inform you when news are published on this website.
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Antarctic Peaks Responsible for Iceberg Break-up near Antarctic Coast
28.06.2010
Over the last decades, satellite images have shown several large icebergs break up when drifting along a particular stretch of the Antarctic coast. As they report in the Journal of Geophysical Research–Solid Earth, researchers now know the reason behind the break-up: the icebergs seem to be crashing into a previously…
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“Sustainable” Label for Antarctic Krill Fishery Misleading, says Pew Environment Group
24.06.2010
The Pew Environment Group recently criticized the Marine Stewardship Council’s certification of Antarctic krill fisheries. The certification, they say, gives the false impression that the entire fishery for Antarctic krill is sustainable when in reality it is not.
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New Research Sheds Light on Antarctica’s Melting Pine Island Glacier
21.06.2010
The Pine Island Glacier (PIG) in West Antarctica has been identified as a major source of the region’s contribution to sea level rise according to research conducted by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) and the National Oceanography Centre, Southhampton (UK) recently released in…
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Warming Antarctic Peninsula Has Consequences for Marine Ecosystems
21.06.2010
The western edge of the Antarctic Peninsula has seen a 6°C rise in winter temperatures over the past 50 years, and the effects on marine ecosystems have been quite profound. A new study recently published in Science as part of the research being conducted at the US's Palmer Station under…
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Antarctic Whaling Ban Essential for Whale Preservation, WWF Report says
21.06.2010
A new report, issued by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), says a ban on whaling in the Southern Ocean is crucial for the recovery of whale populations in the entire southern hemisphere. As the 62nd International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting approaches, the Save the Whale, Save the Southern Ocean report…
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Alien Species Possibly Harming Antarctic Ecosystems
17.06.2010
A fly originally from South Georgia could have negative impacts on native ecosystems in Antarctica, according to research presented by Peter Convey of the British Antarctic Survey at the IPY Oslo Science Conference.
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Southern Ocean Sperm Whale Useful Ally in Struggle against Climate Change
16.06.2010
New research shows that the Southern Ocean Sperm whale can remove large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, which makes the species a special ally in the struggle against climate change.
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Subglacial Gamburtsev Mountains Revealed at IPY Oslo Science Conference
14.06.2010
Scientists at the IPY Oslo Science Conference revealed new images of the Gamburtsev Mountain Range of Antarctica. The images, the result of radar technology, reveal a landscape of steep summits, deep valleys, and liquid lakes. The range itself rivals the Alps in size. While previous imagery of the mountain range…
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Elephant Seals Provide Clues to Wilkins Ice Shelf Breakups
14.06.2010
The Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica has suffered several breakups recently: in 1998, 2008, and 2009. What is unknown, however, is the cause of the collapses. In an effort to find out more, researchers equipped elephant seals with sensors to study the ocean depths beneath the ice shelf.
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Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) Drawing to a Close
10.06.2010
As the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) draws to a close, Project Manager Victoria Wadley reflects on its achievements in the latest issue of the science and technology magazine, International Innovation. The program was part of the larger Census of Marine Life (COML) initiative and the lead Antarctic biodiversity…
