Dossier

Antarctica

The work of researchers on Antarctica has a wide variety of subjects, from polar sea to sea ice and from krill to whales. In this dossier you can find news, backgrounds and results of research of Wageningen University & Research in the Antarctic region. Also, follow expeditions to Antarctica in our researchers' blogs.

In this dossier, you can find research conducted by Wageningen University & Research in relation to its Statutory Research Task (WOT) in Antarctic Research for the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. This task follows from the Netherlands' consultative membership in the Antarctic Treaty, the international agreement for shared government of the Antarctic continent and Southern Oceans. Additional support is obtained from the Netherlands Polar Program of the Netherlands Science Foundation and from foreign host countries that kindly support logistics in our cooperative projects.

The work in the Antarctic has a wide variety of subjects, but has a shared focus on the important role of sea ice in sustaining the rich polar food webs. That focus leads to occasional participation in comparative research expeditions in Arctic areas. When possible, the dossier provides blogs from expeditioners in the field.

Expedition blogs

Projects about Antarctica

The role of sea ice in the polar ocean
The PhD project Iceflux-NL aims at estimating the level at which polar ecosystems and their living resources are affected by changing sea ice habitats...

Alfred Wegener Institut

Life in and underneath sea ice

Publications

Book

Important Bird Areas in Antarctica 2015

Presentations

Chick provisioning strategies in Antarctic petrels and Southern fulmars - 2016

Related dossiers

North Pole (Arctic)
With the receding sea-ice in the Arctic, an increase in human activities such as shipping, oil and gas exploration, fisheries and tourism is expected...

Do you have a question about Antarctica? Ask our expert: dr. FL (Fokje) Schaafsma

Contact form

Ice net SUIT

During the expeditions, the researchers are fishing with the ice net SUIT (Surface and Under Ice Trawl - SUIT). With this gear, the top layer of the water under the ice can be examined.

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News about Antarctica

Combination microscopy and DNA analysis reveals new insights in the diet of polar cod

Royal distinction awarded to Jan Andries van Franeker

Antarctica during autumn: researchers joined a new expedition on board RV Polarstern

WUR receives grant for research on responsible tourism to Antarctica

To measure is to know: how long is a krill and how heavy is polar cod?

New knowledge on the sea ice of the polar oceans

Photo impression MOSAiC expedition in the Arctic Ocean

Former Wageningen Marine Research employee and ice net SUIT travel to Alaska

The MOSAiC expedition continues leg 2: Hardships and challenges in the Arctic winter

The Netherlands has become a member of CCAMLR and participates in policy decision making for the Southern Ocean

One year in the ice

Fokje Schaafsma tells about Antarctic research

Kaiyo Maru: On our way for the second time

Wageningen Marine Research blogs about the Antarctic expedition

Research during Polarstern expediton important in climate studies

Double expedition in the coming Antarctic summer

Dozens of cameras film food production on Antarctica

A diet with ice: how does the food web underneath the ice of the polar oceans work?

Plenty of production in the Future Exploration Greenhouse on Antarctica

Sea ice: an important food source for young Antarctic krill

SiPCA-expedition: on ice, fish and sunlight

SiPCA expedition to the Arctic Ocean on its way

Strong link between polar cod and sea ice of the Arctic Ocean

Antarctica - from research to policy

Ice algae: the engine of life in the central Arctic Ocean

Surviving underneath the sea ice in winter

Krill larvae underneath the winter sea-ice

Plastic litter and fur seals in Antarctica

Billions of juvenile fish under the Arctic sea ice

Atlas of important bird areas in the antartic

A lot of birds in the final week of the TRANSSIZ expedition

TRANSSIZ expedition: Fishing underneath the rough ice of the Arctic Ocean

Blue Whales sightings documented

Blog: White Christmas on Antarctica

Busy research season started in the Antarctic

Expedition Antarctica: winter results and summer preparations

Machiel Lamers explains his new book: Antarctic Futures

Counting whales amidst unpredictable ice: a challenging task

South Pole expedition cover story Wageningen World

Blog of the Expedition to the Antarctic

Food specialisation of petrels in the Antarctic

IMARES participates in APECS

Under-ice habitat important for Antarctic krill

Polar research 2010 / 2011

Expedition blogs

Projects about Antarctica

The role of sea ice in the polar ocean

Alfred Wegener Institut

Publications

Two decades of flask observations of atmospheric (O2/N2), CO2, and APO at stations Lutjewad (the Netherlands) and Mace Head (Ireland), and 3 years from Halley station (Antarctica)

How Might World Heritage Status Support the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites? : An Analysis of Nomination Files, Management, and Governance Contexts

Allometric relationships of ecologically important Antarctic and Arctic zooplankton and fish species

Seasonal variation in the positional distribution of fatty acids in bovine milk fat (Supplementary Tables)

Seasonal variation in the positional distribution of fatty acids in bovine milk fat

Fungal planet description sheets : 1182-1283

Global data on earthworm abundance, biomass, diversity and corresponding environmental properties

Soil erosion modelling : A global review and statistical analysis

Flashing light emitting diodes (LEDs) induce proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and pigments in three microalgae

Fungal planet description sheets : 1042-1111

Book

Presentations

Related dossiers

North Pole (Arctic)