British Antarctic Survey

🛰️ Did you know, its quicker to get evacuated from the International Space Station than it is from Antarctica in a medical emergency?

In this episode of Iceworld, Nadia speaks to Dr Matt Warner - Director of the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit - to find out more about the medical assessment process for working in Antarctica, how different conditions are evaluated and what happens when things go wrong.

So if you're thinking of applying for a job with BAS and want to understand what it takes to be cleared for deployment – this episode is the place to start.

🎧 Listen wherever you find your podcasts.

Photos were taken during an intensive First Aid course for people deploying South.

Introducing your new favourite bird: the snowy sheathbill 🕊️ Possibly the most mysterious bird in Antarctica – scientists still know very little about how many there are, where they go, or even parts of their behaviour.

Last researched in the 1960s, scientists are now using ring tags to uncover their secrets, tracking their movements and estimating their numbers. This will help us answer important questions – for example, do they migrate? Do they stay with their mates for life? Is their population getting bigger or smaller?

Here's what we do know:

🌎 They're the only land bird native to Antarctica, found on the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, and the South American coast.

💩 They’re scavengers, so they feed mostly on poo and dead things – sounds gross, but scavengers are vital nutrient recyclers in the ecosystem.

🥾 Snowy sheathbills will also kick food out of penguins’ mouths to steal it!

🐣 They pair off for breeding and raise 1-2 chicks each season.

🕔 As they age, they grow warts on the sheath covering their bills called fleshy caruncles – males usually get more than females. Charming.

Not the most glamorous bird in the world — but who doesn't love an underdog?

Is the snowy sheathbill going on your favourite bird list? Let us know ⬇️

📸Ashley Bennison, George Day, Jamie Latimer & Jess Callaghan

Are you at Seawork 2026? So are we! 🌊 Come and find our team if you're interested in polar operations, research logistics, or what it's really like to work aboard the .

Find us at T8, where you can chat to us about life and work in extreme environments, opportunities in cutting-edge polar science, and the skills, technology and teamwork that power our missions.

📍9-11 June, Mayflower Park, Southampton.

📸David Ganiford

Ever wondered what it takes to build something truly extraordinary… at the end of the Earth? 🌍❄️

As the Antarctic construction season wraps up, we're reflecting on what's been a remarkable few months at Rothera Research Station.

This season, our teams and those of our partners have been hard at work in one of the world's most unforgiving environments.

The Discovery Building at Rothera Research Station is now fully up and running. It's the beating heart of the UK's largest Antarctic research station: power, water, communications, all under one roof. Built to enable decades of polar science.

While the construction teams were busy, our scientists didn't stop either - tracking ocean changes, studying blue carbon, and investigating underwater tsunamis triggered by glaciers calving.

Here's to every engineer, scientist and support team member who made this season possible 👏

Read the full story on the British Antarctic Survey website: https://www.bas.ac.uk/news/rothera-research-stations-construction-season-upgrades-safeguard-future-polar-science/

This weekend, it’s the Great Exhibition Road Festival in South Kensington, London 🎉 The festival is an annual celebration of science and the arts, featuring hands-on workshops, talks, performances, and displays. And the best part? It’s totally free!

We’ll be there in the Family Fun Zone with our scientists – look out for the bright orange tent all the way from Antarctica 🏕️

Come along to discover what life is really like on the coldest continent on Earth – dress up as a polar researcher, crawl inside a real polar tent, and explore maps and videos from an Antarctic field camp.

🕙 12pm to 6pm on 6-7 June

📍 Family Fun Zone, Kensington Gardens, East Albert Lawn

Register for the festival using the link in the comments ⬇️

Great Exhibition Road Festival

Fair winds and following seas 👋 This is the moment that RRS Sir David Attenborough set sail from Rothera Research Station in Antarctica, leaving a team of hardy Winterers through the dark polar night.

The team will live and work at Rothera Research Station, alone until October. They’ll be looking after each other and the station - as well as continuing the science.

To kick off their time together, the station team have been making great food (we hear the Greek-themed feast was delicious) and are having a deep clean to start things as they mean to go on. We are sending them all our best wishes for the long, dark winter ahead!

📸 Jerry Gillham, Winter Station Leader