Issue 12: 2007
Welcome to the International Polar Year
Australia has a major involvement in the International Polar Year, which is focussing the world's attention on the Arctic and Antarctic.
Celebrating a common vision
On 1 March 2007 the Australian Antarctic Division joined global celebrations to mark the start of the International Polar Year.
Around the world in 365 days
The International Geophysical Year of 1957-58 defined the role of science and the way it is conducted in Antarctica.
Antarctic Treaty makes IPY mission possible
The Antarctic Treaty fosters the cooperative spirit necessary to make ambitious scientific events possible.
Long-hidden seabed life uncovered
The collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves has given scientists their first peek at seabed life hidden for thousands of years.
Understanding the role of the Southern Ocean in climate
This major International Polar Year project will improve our understanding of how the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region responds to climate change and variability.
Getting the measure of sea ice
Scientists will measure physical and biological sea ice properties to understand the impact of changes in sea ice thickness and distribution as a result of climate change.
Taking the Antarctic Arctic Polar Pulse
Doctors are studying the health of expeditioners in the extreme Antarctic and Arctic environments.
Aliens in Antarctica
Scientists will use vacuum cleaners and tweezers to research the risk of non-native species entering Antarctica.
Antarctic ozone: new insights from the International Polar Year
New research into ozone loss in the polar regions.
International Antarctic Institute
The International Antarctic Institute will soon welcome enrolments.
Surfing the building technology wave
A building made from the same material as surfboards provides a new place for Davis expeditioners to chill out.
Davis station turns 50
Davis station celebrated its 50th anniversary on 13 January 2007.
Aurora Australis continues her Antarctic service
Australia's Antarctic flagship returns to the Southern Ocean under a new five-year contract.
From Hobart to Antarctica and back again
Logistic support for the International Polar Year is a complex affair.
Solar Linkages to Atmospheric Processes
Investigating the links between changes in solar output, weather and climate.
Aviation in Antarctica reaches new heights
Jets, fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and aviation personnel play a critical role in Australia's Antarctic operations.
Totally Wild in Antarctica
Network Ten's Totally Wild team spent a month filming ship life, station life and wildlife in Antarctica, as part of an Arts Fellowship.
Viewing the poles with PolarView
New satellite imagery software is assisting safe navigation of sea ice.
In Brief
Awards, books, International Polar year initiatives and other snippets.
Looking to the past for changes in the present
Fossils are helping scientists investigate changes in ocean ecosystems caused by increasing amounts of carbon dioxide dissolving in the ocean.
Minicosms help build a bigger picture of ocean acidification
By replicating the ocean ecosystem on a small scale, scientists aim to understand the effects of increasing ocean acidity on microbial communities.
Iron and the marine ecosystem
Iron may play a key role in controlling primary production in the Southern Ocean, but studying it from a steel ship has its challenges.
Shedding light on carbon sinks
Changes in the quality of light reflected by the ocean can be used to understand the movement of carbon in the ocean.
Aliens of the ocean – bizarre and beautiful
Zooplankton like you've never seen them before.
Marine mammal research comes of age
Using teeth to estimate the age of whales and dolphins.
Feeding habits provide clues to sea lion threats
Does the foraging behaviour of sea lions put them at risk of dangerous interactions with fisheries?
Tracking giants of the deep
Satellite tracking of baleen whales will provide answers to basic questions about their life cycle, feeding habits and social interactions.
Fauna flourish under honeycomb ice
Rich and diverse marine life has been discovered hundreds of metres beneath the Amery Ice Shelf and hundreds of kilometres from the open ocean.
Thirty metres under the sea ice
There are many marvellous sights to distract divers from their work in support of research projects being conducted beneath the sea ice.
Good news for Southern Ocean seabirds
Seabird bycatch has fallen from many thousands, less than a decade ago, to 2 in 2006, in waters regulated by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Resources.
Plumbing on ice
What's life like for a plumber in Antarctica?
Freeze Frame
Meet Limacina helicina, a pteropod (pelagic snail) from the Gulf of Alaska.
Australian Antarctic Magazine - Issue 12, 2007 (full download, 4.8 MB)
