20th COMNAP Symposium (2023)

“Antarctic Innovations and Collaborations”


The 20th COMNAP Symposium (2023) “Antarctic Innovations and Collaborations” includes presentations covering, exploring and answering the following questions:

  • What were the key innovations of the past 60 years in Antarctica?

  • Which collaborations succeeded and what was the recipe for their success?

  • How can we use these to advance research operations from Antarctica for the next 100 years and how can we apply our knowledge to understand the importance of the Antarctic region to all of humanity.

  • How can COMNAP as an organization and COMNAP Member programs learn from our past experiences and achievements and how do we improve to meet, and excel beyond, our common goals?

Topical Innovation sessions include six subjects and themes:

a) Antarctic Roadmap Challenges (ARC) Outcomes

b) Building and Energy Efficiencies

c) Communications and data

d) Marine Platforms and Vessels

e) Safety 

f) Telemedicine

Topical Collaboration sessions include six subjects and themes:

g) Air Network

h) COVID-19 Preparedness and response

i) Education, Outreach and Training

j) Environmental

k) Science and Science Facilitation         

l) Search and Rescue

The Symposium Proceedings are available here.

The 20th Symposium COMNAP YouTube Playlist can be watched here.

Keynote Speakers

  • Tim Heitland

    Medical officer of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany

  • Deneb Karentz

    Professor at USF and SCAR Vice President for Science

 Oral in-person presentations

Transforming Antarctic Operations - management of change and modernisation of operations at BAS

Amie Jackson

British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom

Watch Presentation

An Introduction to the research on Co-operative mobile Robot System Technology for Polar Region Development and Exploration

Dong-Jing Yoon

Korea Polar Research Institute, Republic of Korea

Watch Presentation

Concordia solar array and solar energy potential on Dome C site

Emilie Perrott

French Polar Institute Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV), France

Watch Presentation

The Energetic Modernisation of Neumayer Station III

Uwe Nixdorf

Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Germany

Watch Presentation

Energy Efficiency: New Antarctic scientific stations projects

Marcelo Leppe

Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH), Chile

Watch Presentation

Innovation developments in JARE activities by NIPR for its 50 years commitments

Takuji Nakamura

National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Japan

Watch Presentation

Safety in Ship-based Polar Expeditions: An example of Turkish Polar Program

Doğaç Baybars Isiler

Turkish Polar Program, Türkiye

Watch Presentation

Multinational Collaboration to Overcome Airlift Challenges in the 22/23 Season

Stuart Gregory

United States Antarctic Program (USAP), United States of America

Watch Presentation

Snow runway for Ilyushin heavy aircraft in the Larsemann Hills (East Antarctica): renovation, statistics for the first season and future prospects

Svetlana Grigoreva

Russian Antarctic Expedition, Russia

Watch Presentation

Air operations in the polar depths; public-private cooperation and the use of natural blue ice runways

Miguel Figueroa

Fuerza Aérea de Chile, Chile

Watch Presentation

Logistical challenges on future upgrades of Syowa Station

Gen Hashida

National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Japan

Watch Presentation

Argentina and Australia collaboration on environmental biotechnology

Tim Spedding

Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Australia

Watch Presentation

Success Through International Collaboration in Microgrid Operation on Ross Island

Maria Fernando

Antarctica New Zealand, New Zealand

Watch Presentation

The Swiss Polar Institute Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition

Danièle Rod

Swiss Polar Institute, Switzerland

Watch Presentation

Team Polar – A sustainable & autonomous research rover for Antarctica

Laurenz Edelmann

Team Polar, Netherlands Polar Programme, Netherlands

Watch Presentation

Implementing an Antarctic Regional Climate Centre Network

Robert Argent

Bureau of Meteorology, Australia

Watch Presentation

Collaborative logistics to deliver operational efficiencies

Dave Wattam

British Antarctic Survey (BAS), United Kingdom

Watch Presentation

Lessons learned from past aerogeophysical collaborations for effectively launching new pan-Antarctic RINGS surveys

Kenichi Matsuoka

Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Norway

Watch Presentation

Balloon Ice caves in Antarctica

Rocco Ascione

Programma Nazionale di Ricerca in Antartide (PNRA), Italy

Watch Presentation

Spanish Antarctic Facilities “BAES”: A Scientific and Technical Infrastructure open to international collaboration

Sonia Ramos

Comité Polar Español (CPE), Spain

Watch Presentation

 Oral on-demand video presentations

Enabling Science with a Subsea Fibre Optic Cable for McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Patrick Duncan Smith

United States Antarctic Program (USAP), United States of America

Watch Presentation

Ecuadorian Antarctic Refuge: The use of eco-materials, thermal conservation, and identity

Carlos Alberto Andrés Donoso Paulson

Universidad Catolica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador

Watch Presentation

Foraging niche divergence in a climate change sentinel from the Antarctic Peninsula: evidence from bulk and compound-specific stable isotope analysis

Renan Costa de Lima

COMNAP Antarctic Fellowship Awardee

Watch Presentation

 Posters presentations

Decarbonising Antarctica Discussion Forum: An example of idea sharing to overcome a common challenge

Sophia White

Antarctica New Zealand, New Zealand

See Poster

Energy Efficiency Considerations for McMurdo Station Lodging Facility

Ben Roth

United States Antarctic Program (USAP), United States of America

See Poster

Antarctic Infrastructure Renewal Program: Drivers and Strategies

Matthew Wuersching

Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Australia

See Poster

Silver Arctic - A new platform for supply and research in the Southern Ocean

Stig Flått

Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Norway

See Poster

Development of a Man-Portable Hybrid Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Antarctic Deep Seabed Exploration

Arturo Cadena Torres

Ecuador

See Poster

The USAP Antarctic Research Vessel (ARV) Project

Timothy M. McGovern

United States Antarctic Program (USAP), United States of America

See Poster

Introduction of the RRS Sir David Attenborough – 2 years on

Richard Warren

British Antarctic Survey (BAS), United Kingdom

See Poster

Using innovation to prevent Search and Rescue in the Australian Antarctic Program

Chris Gallagher

Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Australia

See Poster

Monitoring of natural hazardous objects of Antarctic oases: key results of the program implemented at the Larsemann Hills

Svetlana Grigoreva

Russian Antarctic Expedition, Russia

See Poster

Expose to Treat – The Standardisation of Cold Casualty Care for Antarctica

Jonathon Lowe

British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit, United Kingdom

See Poster

Leveraging the Pandemic: How Advancements in Technology and Telemedicine can Improve the Health and Well-being of the Antarctic Deployer

Elicia Liles

United States Antarctic Program (USAP), United States of America

See Poster

Remote Medical Support to Polar Operations – The Effect of ‘Reach Back’ on Clinical Care Delivery

Jonathon Lowe

British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit, United Kingdom

See Poster

DROMLAN (Dronning Maud Land Air Network) – 20 years of international collaboration - Establishing an efficient Air Network in Dronning Maud Land

Sven Lidström

Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Norway

See Poster

Improving the Co-ordination of Antarctic Aviation Has Positive Safety Benefits

Rod Arnold

British Antarctic Survey (BAS), United Kingdom

See Poster

Integrating RPAS into air operations

Carl Robinson

British Antarctic Survey (BAS), United Kingdom

See Poster

Korea’s International Air Network Collaboration for the past 35 years

Mingu Kang

Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Republic of Korea

See Poster

COVID-19 – A Review of the Impact of COVID-19 on Operations in the British Antarctic stations

Jonathon Lowe

British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit, United Kingdom

See Poster

Covid 19 protocol in Punta Arenas as a gateway city

Marcelo Leppe

Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH), Chile

See Poster

U.S. Antarctic Program COVID Posture and Collaboration

Margaret Knuth

United States Antarctic Program (USAP), United States of America

See Poster

Korea’s Collaboration for COVID-19 Preparedness and Response amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Sunhwi Kim

Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Republic of Korea

See Poster

Breaking the ice: Communications for the Scott Base Redevelopment

Samantha Chapman

Antarctica New Zealand, New Zealand

See Poster

Modernising Care Delivery – The Impact of Modular Training and Equipment Structures for Antarctica

Jonathon Lowe

British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit, United Kingdom

See Poster

Antarctic School Fair: 20 years of collaborative science at the secondary school level

Marcelo Leppe

Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH), Chile

See Poster

Gender Lens in Chilean Scientific Antarctic Expeditions

Geraldine Asencio Subiabre

Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH), Chile

See Poster

Eradication of non-native winter crane fly, Trichocera maculipennis, introduced to maritime Antarctica

Ji Hee Kim

Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Republic of Korea

See Poster

Understanding future sea-level change around Antarctica

Matt King

University of Tasmania, Australia

See Poster

The practice of using scientific instruments of a new generation at the Belarusian Antarctic Station for remote sensing of the natural environment of the Antarctic

Aleksei Gaidashov

Republic of Belarus

See Poster

Science automation at Halley Research Station

Thomas Barningham

British Antarctic Survey (BAS), United Kingdom

See Poster

UK-US International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration: Plans and Challenges

Jessie Crain

United States Antarctic Program (USAP), United States of America

See Poster

International Cold Exposure Database (Drugs) (ICED(D)) – A Novel Resource for the Circumpolar Community

Jonathon Lowe

British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit, United Kingdom

See Poster

Standardisation Across the Continent – The Challenge of Universal Resources for Search and Rescue in the Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic Environment

Matt Warner

British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit, United Kingdom

See Poster