Does Antarctica Matter to You?
It does to us!

The icy continent and surrounding ocean that makes up the Antarctic region plays a vital role in our planet’s climate and ecosystems. We know that what happens in, and to, Antarctica matters to the world. For us, Antarctica matters.

It is a place for peaceful purposes only, for international collaboration in scientific discovery, and for environmental stewardship. Antarctica provides insights into how international collaboration and agreement can be achieved. For nearly 40 years, COMNAP has brought together the people who live and work in Antarctica of the National Antarctic Programs. Those people are the experts when it comes to the Antarctic region and what’s happening there. They care about, and are responsible for, supporting research in the Antarctic region.

We want to share Antarctica and Antarctic stories with you. Because we want Antarctica to matter to YOU. In our newsletter, we tell you a little bit about COMNAP as an organisation that is working to support the National Antarctic Programs, and we share the great work of the National Antarctic Programs.

This edition begins with a couple of stories from Antarctica’s past, looks at future innovation in Antarctic operations, and brings to your attention the current situation with bird flu in the Antarctic region.

First, learn your way around Antarctica with the
COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map.

Taking a Closer Look:
Antarctic Built Infrastructure

Doing research in Antarctica, requires built infrastructure. What does it take to build in Antarctica? Try constructing in temperatures that often plunge to -35°C (-31°F), with winds exceeding 150 km/h (93 miles/h), on a footing that is most often ice and if not, is usually frozen ground. Building anything in the Antarctic requires long logistics chains since every single bolt, beam, and pane of glass needs to be shipped in during a narrow three- to six-month, summer season from outside of the Antarctic region to the building site on continent. It is not an easy task.

And yet, across the continent, more than 80 research stations stand as proof that it can be done.

Take a look at those featured in the COMNAP Antarctic Station Catalogue. These stations are more than places to live and work, they are showcases of human ingenuity, collaboration, and increasingly, sustainability. With Antarctica being the only place on earth where you can still find humanity’s first built infrastructure.

Photo: Borchgrevink’s Hut, Cape Adare, Antarctica
Credit: ©Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection ANZSC0541.11 1960-61

In contrast to that first shelter, Antarctic stations being built today are a step into the future, designed not just to survive but to minimise environmental impacts, reduce fossil fuel dependence, and operate with a level of efficiency that is leading the world in sustainable practices. A University of Canterbury Summer Scholarship project by Hanne Nielsen in 2013/14, entitled “From Shelter to Showpiece: The Evolution of Antarctic Station design” explores how station design evolved from 1957 (The International Geophysical Year) to the 2010s.

Several recent station builds exemplify these modern characteristics

The challenges of living and building in Antarctica are immense, but they have driven innovation to an extraordinary level. What we are learning from our buildings’ design and energy efficiency in the Antarctic can be applied to engineering architecture of our houses. National Antarctic Programs are not just creating stations for today but pioneering some of the most advanced and sustainable buildings on Earth.  

Ask a question to admin@comnap.aq about Antarctic building designs and get an answer from Antarctica.

Why building design matters?

Minimise Environmental Impact
Environmental protection is a central principle of the Antarctic Treaty System. Sustainable design helps stations operate and support research with a smaller environmental impact.

Increase Energy Efficiency
Keeping buildings warm in Antarctica requires careful design considerations. Insulation, building orientation, heat recovery systems, and renewable energy technologies all reduce energy consumption. Reducing energy use by improving efficiency is a primary consideration.

Resilience to Environmental Change
Design that can withstand snow accumulation, ice movement, freeze-thaw cycles and strong winds help the building to remain functional and safe through-out the year.

Supporting Science and International Collaboration
Antarctic stations are designed for running specialised research equipment, allowing researchers to work together, collecting, analysing and sending back data related to geology, biology, astronomy, ice dynamics and a range of research disciplines. This also requires sophisticated data management and IT structures.

Safety and Wellbeing
Good design takes into consideration not just the need for shelter from the elements, but also to help people adapt well to living in an isolated polar desert environment which can include long periods of darkness.

COMNAP’s Education, Outreach and Training Expert Group Leader Andrea Peña Aguirre, Head of Communications and the Education Department, Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH), Chile.

Andrea is widely recognised for her work in Antarctic education and outreach in Chile. A key part of outreach is tackling the challenge of how you turn complex polar science into stories that resonate beyond the research community and reach the minds and hearts of the global community.

We spoke with Andrea about her work and share her thoughts with you below:

Why do you think Antarctic education and outreach are important?
Knowledge achieves its full potential only when it is shared, and this challenges us in order to innovate the ways we convey Antarctica's value to future generations. Understanding this continent is the key first step toward raising awareness of its deep influence on planetary health and inspiring the collective sense of stewardship required to protect it. In this challenge, international collaboration is essential for making real progress.

What are the current INACH projects?
INACH leads several high-impact initiatives, most notably the Antarctic School Fair (FAE). Over its 23-year history, the FAE has engaged more than 6,300 students across Chile, encouraging them to develop original, science-based research proposals. What distinguishes the FAE is that it provides a rare, transformative opportunity: the winning teams participate in the Antarctic School Expedition (EAE), where they travel to King George Island, Antarctica, to conduct fieldwork alongside researchers and experience the international collaboration, which is an important part of the Antarctic spirit.

Beyond the FAE, INACH promotes a comprehensive ecosystem of Antarctic education through sustained community outreach. We reach the public through initiatives like the  ‘Antarctic Month’ in November each year, the "Science and Chocolate" conference series, and the development of specialized educational materials, such as the Antarctic Encyclopaedia, ensuring that knowledge of the Antarctic continent reaches every level of society, from early education to the general public. We are particularly proud of our periodicals: the Boletin Antartico Chileno (BACh), which has been published in Spanish for over 42 years, and our ILAIA, which has eleven issues in English.

As the polar community plans for the fifth International Polar Year (IPY) to take place in 2032/2033, why are Antarctic education and outreach important in the lead-up to the IPY?
The spirit of the IPY is rooted in collaboration. As we approach this milestone, education and outreach are essential to bridge the gap between complex scientific discovery and public awareness. By fostering diverse voices and cross-generational dialogue, we can address the urgent climate challenges that affect our planet, turning the IPY into a catalyst for global scientific literacy and collaborative action.

Why is Antarctica important to you personally?
The more I learn about Antarctica, the more I appreciate its profound uniqueness. Growing up in Punta Arenas, Chile, Antarctica felt as distant and unreachable as the Moon. Today, I recognize how deeply connected this land is to my city and its history. Having visited the continent, I have marvelled at its landscapes and the secrets held within its diverse ecosystems—from the icy depths to the rugged rocks. Living in a "custodian city" is an honor, and it carries the tremendous responsibility to share the knowledge and reverence I have gained.

Find out more about INACH here.
Find out more about the COMNAP Education, Outreach and Training Expert Group here.

Bird Flu in Antarctica

‘Bird flu’ has been known to be infecting animals worldwide for many decades.

When it hit the news that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1), a deadly strain of bird flu, had been confirmed for the first time in the Antarctic area, it raised concern about the future of the wildlife of Antarctica. With devastating impacts expected, we needed to quickly gather information to understand how the virus would move between animals and between species, with bird flu infecting birds but also some mammals including seals. Bird flu also infects humans who are occupationally exposed, in rare cases. Surveillance and monitoring by those on the ground in Antarctica would be the key, and National Antarctic Programs stepped up to be vigilant. So that we could prepare for and respond to, bird flu in Antarctica, COMNAP developed guidelines and practices to safely monitor for HPAI H5N1 and to report suspected or confirmed cases so that the whole community had the information as quickly as possible.   

Antarctica is a big place. HPAI H5N1 has only been confirmed in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The initial confirmation was done through scientific testing with results released on 24 February 2024. The work was done collaboratively by the Argentine and Spanish National Antarctic Programs. Further research confirmed that the virus was transferred to Antarctic species through natural migration of infected wildlife from South America and the Sub-Antarctic islands to the Antarctic. HPAI H5N1, which is the highly pathogenic form of bird flu, has re-occurred each summer since 2024 on the continent with impact on several bird and seal species and mass mortality events being reported, such as the 2024 die-off of Skuas in the Weddell Sea area.

We can’t stop the virus. But we are doing all we can to ensure humans in Antarctica are kept safe and that our activities in Antarctica are not inadvertently transferring the virus on our boots or clothing or equipment from region to region. By following COMNAP guidance, National Antarctic Programs are strengthening biosecurity protocols, are monitoring for signs of bird flu in wildlife, and are using reporting tools in cases where symptomatic or dead birds or mass mortality events are encountered. While symptoms are not always observed, education around signs and symptoms of HPAI in wildlife are encouraged. There are a range of simple, practical advice all visitors to the Antarctic are asked to follow. These include:

• Do not approach or interact with birds or mammals in Antarctica        

• Do not touch, move or dispose of dead bird or mammal carcasses

• Do take photos or videos to record what you saw and note the location

• Do report dead or symptomatic birds or mammals

COMNAP have made available a one-page summary of information, including the risk to humans, as well as a training presentation for deploying National Antarctic Program personnel and, as a community, we continue to work together to understand the impact bird flu will have on Antarctic wildlife.

Understanding avian influenza - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health

Why does understanding bird flu matter?

• It could have population level consequences for birds and mammals in Antarctica.

• Changes in the number of one species can have a great impact on other species in Antarctica, such that it could affect the food webs and unique Antarctic ecosystem.

• Being able to measure the impact of bird flu is critical in developing conservation and recovery plans for Antarctica species moving forwards.

What’s Special about the Antarctic Winter?

For people wintering-over in Antarctica, the environmental conditions can be challenging. Extreme cold and 24 hours of darkness, coupled with isolation make it difficult to enjoy.

The coldest temperatures on Earth were recorded in Antarctica at Russia’s Vostok Station −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) in 1983. During winter, the extreme cold dries out the air completely, resulting in a thin clear atmosphere. While rough for humans wintering-over, these conditions are the ideal setting for astronomy. Places like the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, and France/Italy Concordia Station have telescopes and research projects taking place in winter to help us understand the universe and space.

Why does wintering-over in Antarctica matter?

• It allows researchers to collect continuous data across the year, providing more meaningful results.

• Antarctic winters provide unique dark, cold and dry environments, allowing for atmospheric and space research that is difficult or impossible to do in any other place on Earth.

• Staff and researchers can maintain and prepare equipment and stations for the upcoming summer research season, when the National Antarctic Program population of Antarctica increases from approximately 1000 winter-over personnel to up to 15,000 working across the summer from stations or vessels. 
  

Right now, in Antarctica, approximately 950 people are wintering-over on a continent with an area of approximately 14,000,000 km² (5,500,000 square miles). Giving them isolation from the rest of the world, and from neighbouring stations. Such isolation and darkness can cause low spirits, especially in the middle of winter.

A tradition that helps to lift their spirits and connect those wintering over on the icy continent is the Midwinter’s Day celebration and holiday! On the 21st of June, the shortest and darkest day of the austral year, people in Antarctica take a break to celebrate with food, gifts, speeches and reaching out to other Antarctic stations where people are wintering over.

Happy Mid-Winter Antarctica Day!