Adventures in Antarctica (and a bit of science)

This (austral) summer, Mariana spent a month in Antarctica conducting fieldwork for her BIPOLAR Marie Skłodowska-Curie project. The aim of this project is to quantify the potential for adaptation to climate change of lichens and bryophytes in the Arctic and in Antarctica. After her previous fieldwork in Finnish Lapland, this field season focused on collecting data from the opposite pole, and so southwards we travelled to King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands.

This fieldwork was funded by the European Union HORIZON EUROPE through the EU Project POLARIN (Grant Agreement ID: 101130949) and was done in collaboration with Dr Claudia Colesie (University of Edinburgh), an expert in the ecophysiology of polar bryophytes and lichens. Our logistics were supported by the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) and we were hosted by the Chilean station Professor Julio Escudero.

During our stay in Antarctica, we conducted fieldwork at different locations around the archipelago, including Ardley Island, Collins Glacier and Robert Island. We collected data in a variety of ways: we flew drones to map vegetation, we performed detailed species surveys, we took repeat photographs to compare temporal change in vegetation cover from the 1970s, and we established a microclimate network. As next steps, physiological experiments will be undertaken in the lab with collected samples, and the microclimate loggers will be retrieved in 2027 by our Chilean colleagues so that we can quantify the climatic niches of these species in Antarctica.

It was astonishing to witness the large diversity of bryophytes and lichens that are able to thrive in these really harsh environments, and that can cope with strong winds, regular storms, ice and snow. Just the different colours of the ground cover highlight the diversity of cryptogam species, but also the strong variability for a single species. For example, the dominant moss Sanionia uncinata can look anywhere between brown to bright green. We are very excited to explore this variability further, and how this links to the species’ ecophysiological adaptation potential to climate change.

It was an incredible experience to get to work while staring at long-standing glaciers, greeting fur and elephant seals during our commute, and hang out with adorable gentoo and chinstrap penguins. Visiting Antarctica is a privilege and an experience unlike anything else. As such, I very much share the message displayed on the Antarctic Treaty monument in King George Island: “In honour of the Antarctic Treaty and those who support it, who have so successfully cooperated in the study and preservation of Antarctica as a world treasure”.

Author

Mariana García Criado, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow

Photos

Mariana García Criado, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow

Claudia Colesie, collaborator