A new Antarctic research season has begun under the coordination of the Polar Committee, bringing together 28 scientific projects that will be carried out over the coming months at the polar bases and on board the oceanographic research vessel Hespérides. The programme combines national initiatives with support for projects from several countries, making use of the available scientific infrastructure.

Of the total, 15 projects were approved by the Spanish State Research Agency, alongside three long-running monitoring series and additional studies led by international teams. Scientific activity will be supported by the volcanic monitoring services of the National Geographic Institute and weather forecasting provided by AEMET. A technological test related to the Galileo positioning system will also be carried out.

TDB keeps you informed. Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

39th Antarctic research season begins with 28 scientific projects

The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities is funding most of the scientific work as well as the construction, maintenance and operation of Antarctic facilities, including the Gabriel de Castilla and Juan Carlos I bases and the Hespérides research vessel.

Around 200 participants—including researchers, technicians and logistics personnel—will take part in this edition. Research areas include Earth Sciences (41%), Life Sciences (27%), Physical Sciences (23%) and Scientific Services (9%), with multidisciplinary approaches that explore frontier topics.

Among the flagship projects is MERIDIAN, which investigates soil microbiota in polar ecosystems and its response to climate change. Another notable study, POLAR-MELT, will analyse meltwater streams as possible ecological corridors, comparing Antarctic data with upcoming research in Arctic regions.

Audiovisual outreach material will also be produced to help the public understand these fragile environments.

International cooperation remains essential: the campaign will support seven projects from Germany, China, the United States, Italy and Portugal.