Seven Monash University scientists will today embark on two critical expeditions to Antarctica to solve the scientific mysteries key to addressing the planet’s most urgent challenges.
They will leave behind family and friends to spend several months, including the festive season, in isolated, deep-field camps across the Antarctic, including in the Holtedahl Mountains in Queen Maud Land, Morozumi Mountains in North Victoria Land, and the Antarctic Peninsula.
The world-leading research is part of the Monash-led Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future (SAEF), a multidisciplinary research and workforce development program funded by the Australian Research Council. It is dedicated to conserving the Antarctic by understanding past, present and future changes to shape the best decisions for addressing its challenges.
During this year’s expeditions, Monash scientists will collaborate with other expert glaciologists and biologists from institutions across Australia and the world, collecting samples of rock, microbes, invertebrates and plants to understand how the advance and retreat of ice over millions of years has influenced the survival of life on the continent.
An additional two Monash PhD students already conducting fieldwork on the Antarctic Peninsula are researching a greening trend in Antarctica that reflects grasses becoming more abundant. They are also investigating the impacts of climate change on one of only two native Antarctic insects, Belgica antarctica.
SAEF Director Professor Steven Chown, from Monash’s School of Biological Sciences, said Monash researchers will this year spread across more of the continent than ever before to make breakthroughs in some of the world’s most important scientific questions.
“There are secrets hidden deep in the Antarctic that can tell us so much about the history of our planet and how it has changed over time, that will not only help us to address the catastrophic damage human-induced climate change is doing, but also help us provide solutions to protect and potentially reverse that damage,” he said.
“Even the smallest animals and microorganisms that inhabit the Antarctic can tell us how life on Earth has evolved over millennia, and what we can do to protect it in the future.”
Five of the Monash scientists will be based in the Hotedahl Mountains, a group of spectacular peaks and ridges that rise above the ice, while another two will be 1000km away in the Morozumi Mountains, a major mountain range on the opposite side of the continent.
Their departure to the Antarctic with a range of national Antarctic programs and private-sector tourism providers follows the 65th anniversary of the signing of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty yesterday (1 December).
The treaty, signed on 1 December 1959, is an agreement between 57 nations, including Australia, to set aside Antarctica for peace and science. It is commemorated each year as Antarctica Day.
“As our researchers make their journey south, the milestone will be at the forefront of their minds,” Professor Chown said.
“This treaty has been pivotal in facilitating international cooperation to support scientists to visit and study this mysterious continent, which still holds so many of the answers to how our planet evolved and how we can ensure its survival.
“We are looking forward to working with our colleagues from Australian and international organisations, including governments, to bring home new and enhanced understanding of this beautiful continent and its place in the world.”
This season, SAEF expeditions are taking place through partnerships with the Australian Antarctic Division, Antarctic New Zealand, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Chilean Antarctic Program (INACH) and the tourism operators, White Desert and Noble Caledonia.
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