Antarctica: where science collaboration really matters

Co-written by Dr. Caro Cowan, Director Science & Innovation.

This week sees the start of the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, which Brazil is hosting this year in Brasilia. 

 Signed 55 years ago, the Antarctic Treaty has been highly successful in its objectives to protect the environment of Antarctica, ensure peace, and encourage science.  The original 12 Treaty Parties has grown to 50, and new Parties continue to join, such as Portugal and Pakistan in recent years.  All Treaty signatories have a collective interest in ensuring that the fundamental principles of the preservation of Antarctica continue.  Over 160 papers are due to be considered by the Consultative Meeting, covering everything from aviation and maritime safety, search and rescue, tourism, legal issues, environmental protection and so on.  The UK will present or co-sponsor 25 papers, including two jointly with Brazil.

Antarctica remains one of the most important regions in the world in which to undertake global science.  It is a pristine laboratory.  However the tragic fire at Brazil’s Ferraz Research Station two years ago is a reminder of how it also remains a highly challenging place in which to operate.  Co-operation between states in Antarctica is second to none. 

We’re delighted that Dr Jane Francis, Director of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), has joined the UK Delegation for the Meeting. BAS is one of the oldest research programmes in Antarctica and the UK has been undertaking scientific work on the continent since the time of Scott and Shackleton in the early 1900s. It was scientists from BAS who discovered the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica in 1985. Dr Francis’ visit to Brazil is a great opportunity to develop Antarctic science collaboration with Brazilian institutions and to showcase the Antarctic research which British and Brazilian scientists are already carrying out.  Britain’s new polar research ship, will be a key tool for the future, helping to strengthen our capacity to carry out cutting edge scientific research with partners in the Antarctic.