ATSB Releases Preliminary Report on Nuyina Grounding
An ATSB preliminary investigation report details the circumstances leading up to the brief grounding of the Australian research vessel Nuyina off Heard Island, 4,000 km south-west of Perth, October 13 last year.The grounding occurred while Nuyina, the Australian Antarctic Division’s research and supply vessel, was conducting drone survey operations over the shore of Heard Island, close to an area of uncharted seafloor.On board the vessel were 37 marine crew and 85 expeditioners.“Nuyina had several scientific instruments installed on a retractable drop keel, which at the time of the incident
Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Reaches Seasonal Minimum
Antarctic sea ice has likely reached its minimum extent for the year, at 2.58 million square kilometers (996,000 square miles) on February 26, 2026, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder.The 2026 minimum ranks 16th lowest in the 48-year satellite record. This year’s minimum is much closer to average than the past four years, albeit still 260,000 square kilometers (100,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average. It is 730,000 square kilometers (282,000 square miles) above the record low set on February 21, 2023.
Scripps Awarded $15 Million for Environmental Surveys
its kind since Scripps became part of UC San Diego in 1960, will advance research in three key areas: monitoring of environmental DNA (eDNA) and other biomolecules in marine ecosystems, augmenting the renowned Argo network of ocean observing robots, and enhancing the study of ocean conditions beneath Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the Doomsday Glacier.A grant supporting the work of Scripps Director Emeritus Margaret Leinen will support analysis of eDNA — free-floating fragments of DNA shed by organisms into the environment — in understudied parts of the ocean to collect
Memorial Stone Placed at Grave of Antarctic Pioneer Captain John King Davis
A new memorial stone and plaque have been placed at the grave of Captain John King Davis, one of the mostly highly decorated navigators and mariners in the history of Antarctic exploration.Davis served as Chief Officer under Ernest Shackleton during the British Antarctic Nimrod Expedition in 1907 and captained the SY Aurora during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition in 1911, led by Sir Douglas Mawson.Despite his contributions, Captain Davis’s grave at the Melbourne General Cemetery has remained unmarked since his death in 1967.Earlier this month, members of the ANARE Club, including President
eDNA Analysis Detects Invasive Species from Biofouling
Antarctic scientists have trialed a DNA ‘barcoding’ technique that could improve biosecurity measures that help protect polar ecosystems from invasive marine species.The research, led by Australian Antarctic Program scientists, used environmental DNA (eDNA) in water samples, to detect species known to hitch-hike on ships’ hulls.The work was conducted during a voyage from Tasmania to sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, on MPOV Aiviq in 2022.Molecular biologist Dr Leonie Suter said the research showed that eDNA sampling could help ensure effective biosecurity practices (such as hull
Sea Shepherd Returns to Antarctic to Raise Awareness about Krill
Sea Shepherd Global has launched its 2026 Operation Antarctica Defense campaign following the departure of the M/Y Allankay from Ushuaia in Argentina.Last season, the industrial krill fishery reached its seasonal catch limit early for the first time, triggering an unprecedented early closure. This extraordinary development highlights the escalating pressure on krill populations and the Antarctic ecosystem already destabilized by climate change, says Sea Shepherd.Industrial krill super trawlers operate primarily in an area between the South Orkney Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula region, an area
Polar Research Vessel Gets Nav System Refit
of the bridge system, supporting safe navigation even under the most challenging polar conditions.Built by British shipyard Cammell Laird, the RRS Sir David Attenborough is among the world’s most advanced polar research vessels. Measuring 129 metres in length, the vessel operates in Antarctica under the stringent requirements of Polar Code ice class 4 and the LR NAV1 IBS notation.Following the initial delivery of navigation systems in 2017, Anschütz has now completed a comprehensive refit of both the radar systems and the INS. This included the installation of the latest generation
New Map Reveals Terrain Below Antarctic Ice Sheet
Scientists have devised the most detailed map to date of the terrain hidden below the vast ice sheet blanketing Antarctica, uncovering an exuberant landscape of mountains, canyons, valleys and plains while discerning for the first time tens of thousands of hills and other smaller features.The researchers used the latest high-resolution satellite observations and a method called ice-flow perturbation analysis, which estimates subglacial topography and conditions based on surface features, to map the full continent including previously uncharted parts.Improved knowledge of the subglacial bedrock landscape
2025: Fascinated with Subsea Discovery
;critically flawed.” However, the Coast Guard in conjunction with multiple partners responded to the Titan distress notification with ingenuity and resourcefulness.On January 13, 2025, an iceberg the size of Chicago, named A-84, broke away from one of the massive floating glaciers attached to the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet, and a few days later an international team on board Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) became the first to investigate an area that had previously been inaccessible.The expedition was the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary study of the geology, physical
February 2026
