Antarctic

Kerguelen gentoo penguins are a distinct species

A species of penguin previously unrecognised by science as a distinct species lives on the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean.

New insights into the volcanoes beneath Bransfield Strait

Heiner Kubny

Several active volcanic systems lie beneath the seabed of Bransfield Strait. A new study now uses geochemical signatures to reveal the origin of their magma and the processes taking place deep beneath the seabed.

First Weddell seal pup of the season at Vernadsky

Rosamaria Kubny

The Antarctic spring is heralded by new arrivals at the Ukrainian research station Akademik Vernadsky.

Female krill gather at hydrothermal vents

Heiner Kubny

A surprising discovery is changing our understanding of the life of Antarctic krill. Researchers have found sexually active females at hydrothermal vents at depths of more than 1,000 metres.

Volcanic ash: a risk to flights over Antarctica

Heiner Kubny

Volcanic eruptions are not among the hazards one typically associates with Antarctica.

Researchers call for greater protection for Deception Island’s beaches

Rosamaria Kubny

A new study shows that the beaches of Deception Island are home to surprisingly diverse ecosystems.

Antarctic meteorite reveals the birth of the Sun

Heiner Kubny

A meteorite found in Antarctica preserves traces of a magnetic field from the early days of our solar system.

Australia plans four major Antarctic research campaigns

Heiner Kubny

Australia intends to significantly expand its research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in the coming years. Four major campaigns are set to investigate ice, sea ice, krill and marine ecosystems.

Antarctica has its very own microbes

Heiner Kubny

Antarctica appears to harbour a unique, hitherto largely hidden world beneath the soil. Researchers have identified strains of bacteria that have not yet been found anywhere else on Earth.

Gentoo penguins surprise with early return

Rosamaria Kubny

Thousands of gentoo penguins have returned unusually early to Galindez Island, near the Ukrainian Antarctic station Akademik Vernadsky. Just a few weeks earlier, the birds had left the island exceptionally late.

Satellites track emperor penguins through the polar night

Heiner Kubny

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in continuously tracking the movements of emperor penguin colonies from space, even during the dark Antarctic winter.

Tropical heat is causing Antarctica to expand

Heiner Kubny

Antarctica has been losing large quantities of ice for decades. Yet between 2021 and 2023, something surprising happened.

New project investigates the Southern Ocean

Heiner Kubny

The Southern Ocean and Antarctica are changing rapidly, yet many processes and their impacts on the global climate are still poorly understood.

The first emperor penguin chicks have arrived

Rosamaria Kubny

At the Auster Rookery in East Antarctica, a new chapter in life is beginning for thousands of emperor penguins.

Fibre-optic cable to connect Antarctica to the world

Heiner Kubny

Antarctica could, for the first time, be connected directly to the global data network via an undersea fibre-optic cable.

Why Antarctica became covered in ice long before the Arctic

Heiner Kubny

Why did Antarctica become covered in ice as early as around 34 million years ago, whilst large parts of the Arctic remained largely ice-free for many millions of years to come?

Emperor penguins defy the receding ice

Rosamaria Kubny

Emperor penguins are more dependent on fixed breeding sites than many other seabirds. However, new analyses of decades of satellite imagery show that some colonies are surprisingly flexible in their response to the loss of sea ice.

Krill fishery reaches catch limit months ahead of schedule

Heiner Kubny

The krill fishery in Antarctica has once again been brought to a premature close in 2026. The 620,000-tonne threshold had already been reached in the South Atlantic fishing grounds by 12 August.

India plans its first polar and ocean museum in Goa

Heiner Kubny

India aims to raise public awareness of its polar and marine research in future.

Penguin fossils become climate archives

Rosamaria Kubny

Millions of years old penguin bones from Seymour Island provide surprisingly precise insights into how the Antarctic climate once changed.

Blood Falls reveal a new mystery

Heiner Kubny

Beneath the Taylor Glacier in Antarctica lies what appears to be a biological legacy from a time when seawater extended far into what are now the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

Why krill does not clog fin whales’ baleen

Heiner Kubny

With every gulp, fin whales take in huge quantities of krill and seawater. New research shows that their baleen should actually become clogged in the process.

Bird Flu Threat: Australia Withdraws Team from Macquarie Island

Rosamaria Kubny

Australia is taking an extraordinary precautionary measure on Macquarie Island: Due to the threat of the spread of the highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza, the research station’s staff is to be temporarily evacuated from the sub-Antarctic island.

Ukraine and Indonesia deepen cooperation in Antarctic research

Polar Journal AG Team

From the tropics to Antarctica, Indonesia and Ukraine are finding new opportunities for scientific cooperation.

New Zealand begins construction of the new Scott Base

Heiner Kubny

New Zealand has signed the construction contract for the comprehensive redevelopment of its Antarctic research station, Scott Base, thereby getting one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects back on track.

The return of the grey petrels to Macquarie Island

Rosamaria Kubny

Whilst most seabirds of the Southern Ocean breed during the summer months, the grey petrel (Procellaria cinerea) takes an unusual approach.

INACH: Successful test for Antarctic glider

Heiner Kubny

The Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) has successfully completed a new mission with an autonomous underwater glider (AUV) in the Strait of Magellan.

Australia modernises Davis Station

Heiner Kubny

Australia has taken a significant step towards securing the future of its Antarctic research. The necessary environmental permit has been granted for the comprehensive modernisation of the Davis research station.

ENVEO strengthens Austria’s polar research

Heiner Kubny

The Austrian remote sensing company ENVEO IT has become a new scientific member of the Austrian Polar Research Institute (APRI).

Visits to South Georgia will become more expensive from July 2026

Rosamaria Kubny

Anyone wishing to visit South Georgia will have to dig deeper into their pockets in future. The government of the British Overseas Territory has decided on a gradual increase in visitor permit fees.

Solar eclipses in the Solar System

Heiner Kubny

Solar eclipses occur throughout the solar system. However, the way they manifest varies from planet to planet.

Antarctica: Concordia reports –84.1 °C

Heiner Kubny

On 18 July 2026, the air temperature dropped to minus 84.1 degrees Celsius – the lowest reading recorded at a weather station anywhere in the world since 2012.

How much tourism can Antarctica sustain?

Heiner Kubny

Tourism in Antarctica has been growing steadily for years, and with it the debate over its impact on one of the Earth’s most sensitive natural landscapes.

Antarctica: The unknown viral world of penguins

Rosamaria Kubny

Antarctica was long considered to be virtually free of pathogens. Today, however, a completely different picture is emerging.

The Role of Scurvy in Polar Expeditions

Léa Zinsli

Scurvy was a serious threat to polar expeditions, caused by a lack of vitamin C.

Hobart is in the grip of Antarctic fever

Heiner Kubny

From 20 to 23 August 2026, Hobart will be celebrating its unique connection to Antarctica – with science, history and activities for the whole family.

Argobuoys provide new insights into the Southern Ocean

Heiner Kubny

Using six autonomous Argobuoys, Ukrainian scientists have carried out the first-ever year-round oceanographic study in the Bransfield Strait between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

How Glaciers Break Into Icebergs

Polar Journal AG Team

Glaciers are constantly moving, and when large pieces of ice break off into the sea, they form icebergs in a process known as calving.

Antarctica: First dinosaur discovery confirmed

Rosamaria Kubny

A bone discovered as far back as 1985 on the Antarctic Peninsula has now been officially identified as the first known dinosaur fossil ever found on the Antarctic continent.

Air bubbles tell the story of the climate

Heiner Kubny

As part of the Australian ‘Million Year Ice Core’ (MYIC) project, scientists are studying air bubbles that have been trapped in Antarctic ice for thousands to millions of years.

Advances in Antarctic Research

Heiner Kubny

Antarctica is one of the most extreme habitats on Earth. Temperatures close to the freezing point pose major challenges for organisms, as many biological processes slow down in the cold.

Collins Bay: New protected area in Antarctica

Rosamaria Kubny

At their meeting in Japan in May, the signatory states to the Antarctic Treaty unanimously supported the Ukrainian initiative to establish a new protected area in Antarctica.

H5 bird flu is decimating wildlife on Heard Island

Heiner Kubny

Scientists from the Australian Antarctic Programme have published new findings on the spread of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza on the remote Heard and McDonald Islands.

Mapping Baleen Whale Habitats in Antarctica

Léa Zinsli

A new study maps where baleen whales feed across the Southern Ocean and shows how proposed marine protected areas could better align with critical Antarctic habitats.

Snow Cruiser – The Biggest Flop in Antarctic Research

Heiner Kubny

The ‘Snow Cruiser’ was a huge vehicle designed for Antarctic expeditions. It served both as a means of transport and as a mobile research station, with living and working quarters for the crew.

How Early Explorers Survived the Cold

Polar Journal AG Team

Survival in the polar regions depended on practical skills, careful planning, and the ability to adapt to extreme cold.

Rothera Station Ready for the Future

Heiner Kubny

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has reached a major milestone in the modernization of the Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Dumont d’Urville – Expedition to Antarctica

Heiner Kubny

In 1837, Dumont d’Urville was asked by King Louis-Philippe I to explore the South Pole.

Midwinter 2026: Greetings from the eternal ice

Rosamaria Kubny

21 June is a special day for participants in Antarctic expeditions from all over the world: it is Midwinter, the traditional celebration of the longest night and the shortest day of the year in Antarctica.

Antarctica is becoming greener—and more susceptible to plant diseases

Heiner Kubny

Climate change could nearly double the number of plant-damaging fungi in Antarctica by the end of this century.

Antarctic Microbes Under Extreme UV

Léa Zinsli

Antarctic microbes survive extreme UV exposure using a range of natural defense strategies, offering insights for future biotechnological innovations.

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Guest article

How can you tell if a polar bear is pregnant?

Guest Author

It is not for lack of trying. But to this day scientists know of no reliable way to tell if a polar bear is pregnant.

Antarctic

Kerguelen gentoo penguins are a distinct species

New insights into the volcanoes beneath Bransfield Strait

First Weddell seal pup of the season at Vernadsky

Female krill gather at hydrothermal vents

Volcanic ash: a risk to flights over Antarctica

Researchers call for greater protection for Deception Island’s beaches

Antarctic meteorite reveals the birth of the Sun

Australia plans four major Antarctic research campaigns

Antarctica has its very own microbes

Gentoo penguins surprise with early return

Satellites track emperor penguins through the polar night

Tropical heat is causing Antarctica to expand

New project investigates the Southern Ocean

The first emperor penguin chicks have arrived

Fibre-optic cable to connect Antarctica to the world

Why Antarctica became covered in ice long before the Arctic

Emperor penguins defy the receding ice

Krill fishery reaches catch limit months ahead of schedule

India plans its first polar and ocean museum in Goa

Penguin fossils become climate archives

Blood Falls reveal a new mystery

Why krill does not clog fin whales’ baleen

Bird Flu Threat: Australia Withdraws Team from Macquarie Island

Ukraine and Indonesia deepen cooperation in Antarctic research

New Zealand begins construction of the new Scott Base

The return of the grey petrels to Macquarie Island

INACH: Successful test for Antarctic glider

Australia modernises Davis Station

ENVEO strengthens Austria’s polar research

Visits to South Georgia will become more expensive from July 2026

Solar eclipses in the Solar System

Antarctica: Concordia reports –84.1 °C

How much tourism can Antarctica sustain?

Antarctica: The unknown viral world of penguins

The Role of Scurvy in Polar Expeditions

Hobart is in the grip of Antarctic fever

Argobuoys provide new insights into the Southern Ocean

How Glaciers Break Into Icebergs

Antarctica: First dinosaur discovery confirmed

Air bubbles tell the story of the climate

Advances in Antarctic Research

Collins Bay: New protected area in Antarctica

H5 bird flu is decimating wildlife on Heard Island

Mapping Baleen Whale Habitats in Antarctica

Snow Cruiser – The Biggest Flop in Antarctic Research

How Early Explorers Survived the Cold

Rothera Station Ready for the Future

Dumont d’Urville – Expedition to Antarctica

Midwinter 2026: Greetings from the eternal ice

Antarctica is becoming greener—and more susceptible to plant diseases

Antarctic Microbes Under Extreme UV

Get our app on your mobile

Guest article

How can you tell if a polar bear is pregnant?

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