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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 23/09/2026

But ALSO this could be huge for medicine. Protein misfolding is a key feature of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s. What could these extra large and productive protein mistake-binning cells in cold fish help us learn? 🧵7/8

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 23/09/2026

Low temperatures make mistakes in protein folding more likely. A misfolded protein can be really harmful, so cold-adapted cells need ways of dealing with them... Well, our guys the cold fish also have bigger lysosomes - which dispose of the misfolded proteins! 🧵 5/8

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 23/09/2026

The cold causes difficulties for normal cell function, like inefficient protein folding - the process which shapes chains of amino acids for jobs in the cell. Cold fish have larger, very active networks of mitochondria (the engines of the cell), which scientists think helps protect them. 🧵 4/8

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 23/09/2026

The team grew cells from Antarctic spiny plunderfish. Huge shout out to our special guy, harpagifer antarcticus 🫡 The imaging reveals how cold fish have adapted to survive at a chilly -1.8ºC to 2ºC on a cellular level: Their bodies are slow - but their cells are very active. 🧵 3/8

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 23/09/2026

It's a story of firsts. This was the first time Antarctic fish cells have been grown (“culturing” cells). They also had to use a new microscope that could do cutting-edge fluorescence microscopy at 0°C. This means we can see the processes inside the living cells! 🧵 2/8

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 23/09/2026

What links Antarctic adaptation to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease? The answer is in the cells from some very cool fish 🐟 Scientists from British Antarctic Survey and @ceb.cam.ac.uk have just looked inside living Antarctic fish cells for the first time... 🧵 1/8

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 18/09/2026

tfw you're napping hard but are also the subject of wildlife photography... These lifestyle candids of a rare visiting crabeater seal on Bird Island are courtesy of seal scientist Katherine Thomas ⬇️

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 18/09/2026

Shhh, try not to disturb this sleeping crabeater seal as you pass. She's a rare first visitor for Bird Island Research Station (a sub-Antarctic island). They normally prefer pack ice near the Antarctic continent and rarely travel this far north! Girl, that's a big journey. Let 👏 her 👏 nap 👏

A dozing crabeater seal, photographed by Katherine Thomas who is a seal scientist at Bird Island Research Station

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 17/09/2026

Hundreds of whales strand on a remote beach – and no one notices for months. Strandings can be an early warning system for ocean health, flagging pollution, disease, and environmental change. But in remote areas, they often go unseen. 🐳 🧵1/2

A diagram showing satellite images of whale strandings on a beach.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 15/09/2026

He's co-author of a new article that lays out the proactive approach needed for these escalating warming events: 🐟 Rapid adjustments to fishing (+ other stressors) 🪸 Rescue + relocate species 🧪 Invest in science during events 🛰️ Build future food, conservation + sensing infrastructure 🧵 2/3

Figure 1 from the publication "Marine ecosystems in peril: Time to Prepare for super El Nino", PNAS.

The image is a cycle of four proposed categories of actions.

1. Prepare: build resilience. Adjust fishing quotas, protect key interactions, reduce co-stressors.

2. Respond: protect vulnerable ecosystems. Rescue + relocate species, secure permits + facilities, document and share outcomes.

3. Learn: treat El Nino as a natural experiment. Expand ecological monitoring, sample before during and after, mobilise international field teams.

4. Transform: invest in future observing systems. Invest in satellites + ocean sensors, integrate machine learning, expand marine reserves.

The article captions this image:
"Actions marine scientists and managers can take in response to the developing super El Niño. These actions aim to reduce ecological impacts and to leverage the event to better understand how ocean warming and other aspects of climate change are affecting marine species and ecosystems."

John F. Bruno, Michael T. Burrows, Scott C. Doney, Thomas L. Frölicher, Ida Kubiszewski, Jean P. Gibert, Timothy M. Lenton, Michael Meredith, Malin L. Pinsky, James W. B. Rae, Anastasia Romanou, Dan A. Smale, and Maya Zeff

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 15/09/2026

“We shouldn’t just cry into our beer about it. We should actually try and do things about it." ☝️ BAS' Professor Michael Meredith for @newscientist.com. He's talking about the impact of El Niño on marine ecosystems - how we should be acting now to build resilience and protection approaches. 🧵 1/3

King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on the beach of the French sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Ocean (Photo by Annette Scheffer)

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 04/09/2026

It’s Pre-Deployment Training Week ❄️ Meet the people heading South to live and work on our Antarctic research stations. There’s a lot to learn before they go – from understanding how our stations operate, to first aid and biosecurity. Good luck for the season ahead!

A big group of people pose for a photo in a garden with a blue building and large crest in the background

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 25/08/2026

‘Takk’ to everyone who joined us, and to our wonderful co-hosts Anne Laugesen, Sophie Stewart and the NERC: Natural Environment Research Council Arctic Office.

A group of people on the Bridge of a ship watch a woman give a speech

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 25/08/2026

We hope that the data we’ve collected in Greenland, and the findings of this research, will be useful for both the people of Greenland, researchers across the Arctic region and communities across Europe who will be affected by the changes happening in Greenland.

A woman stands next to a large screen showing a sonar map of the seafloor

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 25/08/2026

It was a pleasure to welcome everyone on board, and talk about the importance of science diplomacy and collaboration in the Arctic. This event was a great opportunity to make connections and share knowledge about research in this vital and rapidly changing region.

A group of people standing on the deck of a ship, surrounded by large science kit

A woman stands next to a large piece of science kit on a ship, holding a laptop and talking to a group of people

A small group of people in a lab look at a man next to parts of a science instrument

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 25/08/2026

The ship was berthed in Reykjavík, Iceland after it’s epic month-long science mission in south-east Greenland.

A large red, white and yellow ship in a calm ocean, with a hazy green slope of land in the distance

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 25/08/2026

Kveðja frá Íslandi! This weekend, in partnership with the British Embassy Reykjavik and the Science Technology Network, we welcomed diplomats, policymakers and guests from academia and business on board RRS Sir David Attenborough.

A large group of people on the Bridge of a ship

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 13/08/2026

Totality in Greenland on RRS Sir David Attenborough ☀️🌙 The GIANT expedition team were lucky enough to be in the path of the total eclipse in Greenland. It was a view so good we rang up our friends at RAL Space to share it with the 1000+ people at their eclipse event in the UK.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 31/07/2026

The team on board is using marine robots, drones, and satellites to map the ice. Scientists will use this data to build improved computer models, and these models will help predict the future of Greenland’s glaciers, as well as advancing the global models used to forecast climate change.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 31/07/2026

Led by the British Antarctic Survey, GIANT focuses on the giant glaciers that flow into Greenland’s fjords. When these glaciers melt, fracture and collapse into the ocean, they release vast amounts of freshwater into the North Atlantic💧

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 31/07/2026

The SDA is currently sailing around the eastern coast of Greenland as part of the GIANT (Greenland Ice sheet to AtlaNtic Tipping points from ice loss) mission, which explores how the warming ocean is affecting Greenland’s huge ice sheet, and what this means for our future climate.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 31/07/2026

🛰️ Sentinel-2 is run by Copernicus EU 🌍The images are used for remote-sensing science 📐 Each pixel represents a 10 metre square 🚢The SDA could be represented by a total of 7 pixels!

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 31/07/2026

We particularly love that you can (if you squint) make out the faint path the SDA leaves in its wake as it pushes through the sea ice ❄️

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 31/07/2026

We’ve been papped… By a satellite! 🛰️ The RRS Sir David Attenborough is visible in some of the latest Sentinel-2 images of Greenland, as was spotted by some of the eagle-eyed team onboard.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 29/07/2026

Boaty McBoatface has returned from its first expedition under glacial mélange! Our friends at @noc.ac.uk sent the UK's favourite submarine on a 23hr mission from the RRS Sir David Attenborough. This data will help show how Greenland's glaciers interact with the fjords and oceans.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 21/07/2026

What if the ocean current keeping Britain warm started to slow down? ☔ The AMOC acts like a giant conveyor belt, moving heat from the tropics to our shores. Models predict that the AMOC could slow down or collapse – potentially leading to new extremes in weather. 🧵1/2

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 16/07/2026

The data gathered will feed into AI-boosted climate models – including the next-generation UK Earth System Model – giving us better predictions of Greenland ice loss and its global impact. The team also aims to develop a prototype Early Warning System for rapid glacier change. 🧵4/4

An aerial view of Greenland's melting glaciers with a section of bright blue water in amongst ice.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 16/07/2026

To understand this, the teams on board are deploying the robot A-Team: DriX skims the surface to map the glaciers. Gavia & EcoSubs dive in formation. The famous Boaty McBoatface dives 1,500m beneath the iceberg-choked fjords to map glacier geometry. 🧵3/4

The aft deck of a research ship with 4 autonomous, submarine robots on display.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 16/07/2026

As the Arctic warms, Greenland's meltwater could disrupt the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre – a whirlpool of currents that form part of the ocean conveyor belt keeping our planet's climate stable. A slowdown could bring serious consequences for European weather – potentially within decades. 🧵2/4

A red research ship at sea on a sunny day with snowy mountains and clouds in the background.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 16/07/2026

Today, the RRS Sir David Attenborough set sail from the UK 🚢 bound for Greenland as part of the GIANT project – an ambitious mission to study how rapidly melting fjord glaciers are affecting Atlantic currents, climate, and wider marine ecosystems. #ArcticResearch #ClimateScience 🧵1/4

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 06/07/2026

In case you've not seen it: here's a map to blow your mind ⬇️ It shows global ocean circulation on a ‘Spilhaus projection' map. These global connections are why you've got polar scientists hollering at you about climate change! (fyi: blue paths = deep-water currents, red paths = surface currents.)

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 01/07/2026

Pete's almost 40-year career has transformed our understanding of Antarctic ecosystems, with 750+ publications and 45,000+ citations. He said: "The medal represents the culmination of a career made possible by exceptional colleagues and the incredible SCAR community." #ScienceAward 🧵2/2

A scientist in a red coat and a blue hat sits on a rocky bluff.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 01/07/2026

Congratulations to Prof. Pete Convey, terrestrial ecologist at British Antarctic Survey, awarded the 2026 SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research! 🎉 SCAR awards this medal annually for significant contributions to Antarctic research. #PolarScience #Antarctica 🧵1/2

A scientist wearing a black coat and blue hat with a camera around his neck on the deck of a ship with Antarctic mountains in the background.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 25/06/2026

Happy #InternationalDayOfTheSeafarer to our brilliant crew on board RRS Sir David Attenborough. Our mariners work in one of the world's most challenging oceans. Crossing the Drake Passage & navigating sea ice, icebergs & unchartered waters is all in a day's work for them. 📸Rich Turner, BAS

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 24/06/2026

Look, we're SWEATING in Cambridge today. But down at the UK's largest Antarctic research station, our team are also experiencing a heatwave. It's midwinter on the Antarctic Peninsula: it should be -15°C to -20°C at the moment. It's -2°C. There's almost no sea ice, and there has been rain.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 15/06/2026

Extreme weather is making headlines – and record winter warming is being felt in Antarctica. 🧊🌡️ 🧵1/5

A group of people stare up at a giant iceberg

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 13/06/2026

In the depths of polar winter, our Antarctic teams have been quietly preparing for World Cup glory. England and Scotland – the reinforcements are ready ⚽ Far from home. With you in spirit. Good luck from the bottom of the world! #FifaWorldCup2026 #Antarctica

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 10/06/2026

Can AI help us study one of the most challenging environments on Earth? As London Tech Week is shining light on the use of AI in society, find out how we’re using it to monitor the polar regions and the environment. This is AI for good. #AI #MachineLearning #polarregions #environment

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 09/06/2026

The new Discovery Building is now fully operational at Rothera Research Station. Built at the end of the Earth. Built for decades of polar science. ❄️ #Antarctica #Environment #PolarResearch

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 05/06/2026

We’re at the Great Exhibition Road Festival this weekend! Look out for the big orange Antarctic field tent in the Family Fun Zone, Kensington Gardens – you can crawl inside, dress up as a polar researcher, and find out what life is really like on the coldest continent on Earth. 🧵1/2

A close-up of a person dressed in polar gear waving out of a tent door.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 28/05/2026

At sea, the RRS Sir David Attenborough tested its icebreaking limits, and gathered important data to understand ocean processes 🚢 Aboard the RV Polarstern, scientists braved 41m/s winds to collect sea ice and biodiversity data in the Weddell Sea. 📸 @awi.de 🧵8/9

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 28/05/2026

In the field, the REWIND team drilled a 271m ice core to containing 1,000 years of climate data 🧊 Meanwhile, critical data from beneath Thwaites Glacier revealed warm waters are melting this unstable ice giant from below. 🧵7/9

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 28/05/2026

At Signy, a remotely operated "drone-in-a-box" is revolutionising wildlife surveys 🤖 Piloted by scientists from our UK site, it has already created a 3D map of the island and been used to monitor wildlife populations! 🧵6/9

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 28/05/2026

At King Edward Point, the ECHO survey measured how wildlife interacts across a changing ecosystem, including a project tracking penguins and krill 🐧 Scientists also responded to a mysterious washup of pink-shelled bivalves on a nearby beach. 🧵5/9

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 28/05/2026

At Bird Island, the team tagged over 400 snowy sheathbills – a species of bird whose population, behaviours and migratory movements are still a mystery to science 🕊️ *cue Peter Andre's 'Mysterious Girl'* The tags will help reveal population size and where they go on their travels... 🧵4/9

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 28/05/2026

At Halley VI (our station on skis on the Brunt Ice Shelf) our team continued to gather vital ice, atmosphere, and space weather data – before handing over to autonomous instruments for the winter. Here's field guide Vicki Warke carefully testing the ice cliff ahead of a shipping delivery. 🧵3/9

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 28/05/2026

At Rothera Research Station, the new Discovery Building is open 🎉 Highlights include long-term ecological monitoring, and the POLOMINTS project – studying underwater tsunamis caused by calving glaciers to better understand ocean mixing and improve climate models. 🧵2/9

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 28/05/2026

That's a wrap on the 2025/26 Antarctic science season! Our teams worked on 50+ projects across five research stations, in the deep field, and at sea – from climate science to wildlife monitoring. Here's a look back at (some of) what we got up to... 🧵1/9

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 27/05/2026

This is the moment that RRS Sir David Attenborough set sail from Rothera Research Station in Antarctica. It leaves behind team of hardy Winterers there to stay through polar night. They'll live and work there alone until October 💙 📸 Jerry Gillham, Winter Station Leader

Two figures stand on the snowy dockside waving up at a big red ship. It's dark and the ship is illuminated warmly from many portholes and external lights. There is a row of people lined up on the deck in the distance, waving back.

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British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · 20/05/2026

With a fresh flurry of snow and deconstruction complete, isn't Rothera Research Station looking good? It's been a busy month for our Antarctic team - modernising the station *and* keeping the science on track. Find out what's occuring in the latest Postcard from Rothera ⬇️ ow.ly/qwTK50YXnyr

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