University of Gothenburg to Buy New AUV
The University of Gothenburg will buy a new underwater vehicle to replace Ran, the AUV that was lost under a glacier in Antarctica in 2024.A large donation means that researchers can plan for new expeditions.The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Ran contributed to groundbreaking research, education and technological development for six years. The most groundbreaking results were achieved during risky missions under the floating glaciers of Antarctica. It was also during one such mission that Ran was lost in January 2024.“Thanks to Ran, we became the first researchers in the world to enter
Ponant Promotes Cruising with Scientists
to advancing knowledge of the oceans and scientific research as part of our broader mission to explore responsibly and travel with care,” said Samuel Chamberlain, CEO, Ponant Explorations Group Americas.The first expedition under the new partnership will take place on an October 31 voyage to Antarctica. On the sailing will be two WHOI-MIT Joint Program graduate students, Caroline Needell and Bailey Fluegel, guided by WHOI glaciologist Dr. Catherine Walker.Aboard the world’s only passenger ship with Polar Class 2 certification—capable of navigating shifting glaciers and uncharted ice
Antarctica Undergoing Abrupt Change
Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are experiencing abrupt changes due to human-caused climate change, according to research published in Nature on Thursday.The research review, led by Professor Nerilie Abram from the Australian National University (now Australian Antarctic Division Chief Scientist), shows that multiple rapid changes across the Antarctic environment are already underway, or imminent.These abrupt changes include a rapid decline in sea-ice coverage, weakening of ice sheet and ice shelf stability, and population declines in some marine and terrestrial species, due to habitat loss.“Hum
Rapid Loss of Antarctic Ice Might Signal Climate Tipping Point
Rapid loss of Antarctic sea ice could be a tipping point for the global climate, causing sea level rises, changes to ocean currents and loss of marine life that are impossible to reverse, a scientific study published on Thursday said.The paper in the journal Nature aimed to describe in previously unseen detail the interlocking effects of global warming on the Antarctic, the frozen continent at the planet's South Pole."Evidence is emerging for rapid, interacting and sometimes self-perpetuating changes in the Antarctic environment," it said.The study gathered data from
August 2025
