The hopeful return of polar whales
Whales are rediscovering their old haunts in the Arctic and Southern oceans after centuries of hunting.
Jan. 1, 2021 • ~7 min
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200 years ago, people discovered Antarctica – and promptly began profiting by slaughtering some of its animals to near extinction
For 200 years, a small number of countries have exploited the marine wildlife of Antarctica, often with devastating impact on their populations.
Nov. 13, 2020 • ~8 min
climate-change 1960s china extinction fisheries antarctica russia fishing south-korea japan blood germany whales chile unilever sea-ice southern-ocean norway environmental-movement whaling great-britain international-whaling-commission antarctic-krill margarine holland public-attitudes resource-extraction antarctic-peninsula
Giant 'toothed' birds flew over Antarctica 40 million to 50 million years ago
Paleontologists have discovered fossil remains belonging to an enormous 'toothed' bird that lived for a period of about 60 million years after dinosaurs.
Oct. 27, 2020 • ~7 min
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Microscopic animals are busy distributing microplastics throughout the world's soil
Our research on a remote Antarctic island found microplastics in the intestines of tiny animals.
June 25, 2020 • ~6 min
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We caught bacteria from the most pristine air on earth to help solve a climate modeling mystery
Climate models have been overestimating how much sunlight hits the Southern Ocean. This is because the clouds there are different from clouds anywhere else. Bacterial DNA helped us understand why.
June 19, 2020 • ~9 min
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Meteorites from Mars contain clues about the red planet's geology
Martian meteorites allow scientists here on Earth to decode that planet's geology, more than a decade before the first missions are scheduled to bring rocks back home from Mars.
June 16, 2020 • ~6 min
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Fighting boredom with banjos and Russian grammar – tips from polar explorers for surviving months of isolation
A strong mind was key to surviving the monotony faced by Antarctic explorers enduring the isolation of long, remote winters.
March 30, 2020 • ~7 min
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