View of Casey station from Reeve Hill

An icy Christmas

The wonder of a white Christmas is guaranteed for a select group of expeditioners at Australia’s Antarctic stations. Read more
Aerial view of the Red Shed at Casey station.

Household pollutants detected around Antarctic stations

Australian Antarctic stations are rethinking their operational practices after the discovery that common household pollutants are… Read more

Ice core drill and glaciologists

Antarctic ice cores tell 1000-year Australian drought story

Scientists have used a 1000 year Antarctic ice core record to shed light… Read more
Blue whale

Australia to take part in Southern Ocean whale research voyage

The Australian Government is preparing to embark on a Southern Ocean… Read more
Dr Tessa Vance with an ice core from Aurora Basin in the new ice core facility at IMAS.

Cutting-edge ice core facility extracts Antarctic climate secrets

A new world-class ice core laboratory in Tasmania will allow scientists to… Read more
The helicopter hovers over a seawater holding tank.

Antarctic marine microbes airdropped into science experiment

An Antarctic helicopter pilot has put his aerial fire-fighting skills to… Read more
A Weddell seal with an icefish in its mouth, in a dive hole

Seal of approval for dive project

A Weddell seal gave Antarctic divers a surprise this week when it surfaced… Read more
John Kelly in Antarctica

Artists wanted for icy fellowship

A rare opportunity to travel to the most remote and inspiring place on… Read more
A Basler aircraft in the foreground, with A319 aircraft in the background

Action stations: Australian activity in Antarctica

Planning a season of Antarctic operations is not for the faint of heart. Read more
The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) being lowered off the stern of the ship. The data from the AUV is used to make 3-D maps of the underside of the sea ice.

A new way of looking at sea ice thickness

Antarctic scientists have used an underwater robot to produce the first… Read more
President Xi and Prime Minister Abbott examine an ice core, held by Dr Tony Fleming

Australia and China strengthen Antarctic ties

Australia and China have reaffirmed and strengthened a long tradition of… Read more
The calving front of the Totten Glacier ice shelf.

New Antarctic partnership sending scientists south

Forty new researchers and technicians will be employed to study ice… Read more
Bill DeBruyn will be the summer Station Leader at Casey

2014–2015 Australian Antarctic Station Leaders

Change is in the freezing katabatic wind with Australia’s new Antarctic… Read more
Jilli Rose

Animator receives Antarctic Arts Fellowship

Australian animator and producer Jilli Rose is the 2014 Australian… Read more
Corals, sponges and a fish photographed in the Southern Ocean.

Australia will continue push for East Antarctic Marine Protected Area

Australia will continue to push for Marine Protected Areas off East… Read more
Divers prepare to enter the chilly Antarctic waters

Antarctic scientists create “future ocean”

For the first time Australian scientists will create a “future ocean”… Read more
Antarctic Station Leader Narelle Campbell in front of the Casey station living quarters.

Davis station leader finalist for New South Wales Australian of the Year

Davis Station Leader Narelle Campbell is a finalist for the New South… Read more
A tabular iceberg against a pink sunset.

Antarctica in your inbox

Subscribe to our new online newsletter, Antarctic Insider, for the latest… Read more
Elephant seals laze on the beach in front of Heard Island volcano Big Ben

New Management plan for Heard Island and McDonald Islands

A new Management Plan for Australia’s Heard Island and McDonald Islands… Read more
Sunlight glistens of an Antarctic iceberg

Revised East Antarctic Marine Protected Area proposal

Australia is hopeful a revised proposal for a representative Marine… Read more
Dr Tony Press and Minister Greg Hunt at the press conference

Antarctic Plan sets new course for Australia in Antarctica

The Australian Government has released the 20 Year Australian Antarctic… Read more
An automated camera sits on top of rocks overlooking an Adelie penguin colony near Australia’s Casey station.

Wanted: volunteers to count Antarctic penguins

Always wanted to count penguins in Antarctica? Well now you can, with the… Read more
Nacreous clouds or ‘mother of pearl’ clouds photographed in the sky over Mawson, Antarctica.

Antarctic ozone hole alters Southern Hemisphere climate

Find out more in the latest scientific assessment for ozone depletion… Read more
A black-browed albatross in flight

Seabird Threat Abatement Plan 2014

An updated Threat Abatement Plan for seabirds in longline fisheries has… Read more
Cover of the Atlas.

Atlas of all Antarctic creatures great and small

All creatures great and small, from the mighty whale to the miniature… Read more
Dan Laban in Antarctica

Science Week links you with Antarctica

The Australian Antarctic Division is celebrating National Science Week… Read more
Minke whale

Krill on the menu for Antarctic minke whales’ lunge diet

The extraordinary feeding behaviour of Antarctic minke whales has been… Read more
Aurora Australis in ice

Taking the next step to acquire a new Antarctic icebreaker

The Australian Government has taken a significant step towards procuring a… Read more
Three expeditioners outdoors gathered around a cable

Schools’ virtual visit to Casey research station

Australia’s Casey research station had a virtual visit from 2200 school… Read more
Heard Island volcano Big Ben viewed from Atlas Cove

Deep sea cameras reveal limited impact of fishing around Heard Island

Novel deep sea camera systems have shown that Australian commercial… Read more
Jenni Mitchell’s painting ‘Messenger of the Ice'

Icy art on show

An exhibition featuring the work of Australian Antarctic Arts Fellows… Read more
A fledgling emperor penguin with a satellite tracker attached.

Antarctic animal tracking identifies Southern Ocean hotspots

Satellite tracking of six seal and seabird species in the East Antarctic… Read more
A colony of emperor penguins.

Large changes ahead for Antarctic marine ecosystems

An international group of Southern Ocean experts has found that current… Read more
Three Antarctic scientists watch the ice core drill inside a drilling tent at Law Dome.

Icy insight into Earth’s volcanic history

The impact of volcanic eruptions on the Earth’s climate is being… Read more
The active volcano Big Ben on Heard Island, with king penguins in the foreground

Open for comment: new Heard Island and McDonald Islands management plan

A draft management plan for the Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI)… Read more
Antarctic Station Leader Narelle Campbell in front of the Casey station living quarters.

Schools live Antarctic video chats

Schools are invited to register for a new series of live video chats with… Read more
Medal recipient Andrew Jackson

Antarctic medal for a lifetime of international policy work

An expert in Australian Antarctic policy has been awarded the 2014… Read more
A group photo of Davis station expeditioners in front of the hole cut in the sea ice for the midwinter swim.

Midwinter celebrations 2014

Midwinter has been celebrated in icy style at Australia’s Casey, Davis and… Read more
Map showing the 15 distinct Antarctic ecoregions.

Re-evaluating Antarctica’s protected area system

Antarctica’s suite of protected areas should be expanded to ensure it… Read more
Ice calving from an ice cliff face in Antarctica.

World Environment Day 2014

Antarctica and its wildlife are as vulnerable to climate change as the… Read more
Dr Mark Curran holds up a one-metre length of ice core.

2013–14 Antarctic season highlights

Australia’s 2013–14 Antarctic season was one of considerable challenge and… Read more
A screen shot of the home page of the Antarctic Marine Protists taxonomic key website. Users can click on the images to launch keys to the relevant taxonomic group. Many of the images were taken in the Australian Antarctic Division’s electron microscopy laboratory. Others are credited and referenced accordingly.

Keys to a hidden marine world

An online tool, capturing the intricate structures of hundreds of… Read more
The Aurora Australis unloads cargo on the fast ice at Davis station.

Shortlisted companies announced to build new Antarctic icebreaker

Two companies have been shortlisted to build a new Antarctic icebreaker as… Read more
Dr Alison Kohout with two of her wave sensors on the stern of the Aurora Australis during the Sea Ice Physics and Ecosystem eXperiment (SIPEX-II) voyage in September 2012.

Stormy seas ahead for sea ice longevity

Stormy seas whipped up at the edge of the Antarctic sea ice zone can send… Read more
Seals and king penguins on a beach at Macquarie Island.

International Day for Biological Diversity

Macquarie Island’s native biodiversity is bouncing back, while… Read more
A photomicrograph of brightly coloured crystals of boralsilite

Special protection for Stornes ‘hard rock’

Antarctic rocks containing rare minerals found nowhere else on Earth, have… Read more
Environment Minister Greg Hunt surrounded by media in front of the orange icebreaker ship Aurora Australis on Hobart's waterfront.

New icebreaker is a strong boost for Antarctic research and good news for the Tasmanian economy

As part of a significant Budget commitment to Antarctic research and… Read more
Aurora Australis

Boosting Australia’s commitment to Tasmania and Antarctica with new icebreaker

In a significant long term commitment to Tasmania and Antarctica, the… Read more
Five scientists in a drill tent with one using the Eclipse drill and others processing ice cores

Scientists unlock a 2000 year ice core climate record

Antarctic scientists are set to unlock an ice core climate record spanning… Read more

Australian to lead Antarctic Environment Protection body

An Australian has been appointed to head the international advisory body… Read more
Casey expeditioners prepare their cameras ready for the solar eclipse

Freeze frame on solar eclipse

A small group of Australians in Antarctica enjoyed a spectacular view of… Read more
A pygmy blue whale surfacing.

Mapping the migratory route of pygmy blue whales

Satellite tagging of pygmy blue whales off the west Australian coast has… Read more
Helicopter carrying sling-load of cargo underneath

Complex aerial Mawson resupply nearly complete

An unusual and logistically challenging helicopter resupply operation is… Read more
Macquarie Island Station Leader Ivor Harris on Macquarie Island.

2014–15 Station Leaders

Australia’s new Antarctic Station Leaders have recently headed south to… Read more
Heard Island volcano Big Ben viewed from Atlas Cove

Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve Expansion

The Australian Government has expanded the sub-Antarctic Heard Island and… Read more
A humpback whale points its upper body straight up out of the ocean in a behaviour known as spy hopping.

DNA holds clues to humpback whales’ age

Scientists have developed the first DNA-based test for estimating the age… Read more
Elephant seals at the base of a scree slope on Macquarie Island.

Elephant seal population decrease linked to polar vortex

The ozone hole and changes in atmospheric circulation are implicated in a… Read more
A man stands in a cloud of volcanic steam in the Antarctic South Sandwich Islands

Volcanoes provided ice-age refuge for Antarctic biodiversity

Antarctic volcanoes and other geothermal areas may have provided a refuge… Read more
Very old photograph of a group of thirteen men on a ship

Australia in Antarctica: Building on Mawson’s legacy

Today we celebrate an important milestone in Australia’s Antarctic history… Read more
Aerial view of the ship Aurora Australis surrounded by icy and water.

Changes to the Antarctic shipping schedule

Heavy sea ice conditions near Mawson research station have resulted in… Read more
The Umitaka Maru in the Southern Ocean

Australia-Japan meeting to build Antarctic science collaboration

Japanese scientists visiting Hobart this week on their Antarctic research… Read more
Meredith Hooper photograph portrait

Meredith Hooper Australian of the Year in the UK

Former Australian Antarctic Arts Fellow Meredith Hooper has been named the… Read more
The bow of the red Aurora Australis in open water.

Antarctic shipping schedule changed

The Australian Antarctic Division has revised its shipping schedule due to… Read more
Aurora Australis arriving in Hobart

Aurora Australis returns with rescued passengers

The Australian Antarctic icebreaker Aurora Australis arrived in Hobart… Read more
Close-up of ship’s name: Aurora Australis

Aurora Australis bound for Tasmania

The Australian Antarctic icebreaker, Aurora Australis, has departed Casey… Read more
A colony of emperor penguins on the sea ice with an ice shelf behind.

New breeding behaviour discovered in emperor penguins

Satellite imagery and aerial surveys have revealed a new breeding… Read more
The bow of the Aurora Australis with lines running from the ship

Australian Antarctic shipping schedule revised

The Australian Antarctic Division has revised its shipping schedule. Read more
Passengers disembarking from helicopter

Australian icebreaker takes aboard passengers from trapped vessel

The Aurora Australis has welcomed aboard 52 passengers from the… Read more

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