by Ria Olivier | Jul 26, 2022 | Announcement, Antarctica, SCAR, Science, Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic
SCAR Open Science Conference takes place from 27 July and this includes the Business Meetings on 27-29 July 2022, the conference from 1-5 August, and the delegates meeting on 5- 7 September.
The SCAR Open Science Conference, established 20 years ago, has in many ways become the premier activity of SCAR that supports its mission to promote and facilitate international Antarctic and Southern Ocean science. These biennial meetings have become fertile ground for the exchange of the latest and highest profile Antarctic research outcomes and a place where future collaborations are born. The biennial SCAR meetings are an opportunity for subsidiary groups to meet and conduct their business. For some groups this provides the time to develop and produce reports for the Delegates Meeting which follows the open science conference.
XXXVII SCAR DELEGATES MEETING takes place from 5- 7 September and the South African delegates are Prof Bettine van Vuuren (Chair of South African National Committee for SCAR) and Tracy Klarenbeek (director: NRF – Knowledge Advancement and Support)
Under SCAR’s Articles of Association, the Meeting of the Delegates may create subsidiary bodies to undertake certain aspects of the business of SCAR. Specified Subsidiary Bodies are:
We wish all successful business meetings and conference participation.
Follow us on Twitter for announcements of presentations and sessions.
Text compiled from the official SCAR2022 website.
Ria Olivier, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 26 July 2022
by Ria Olivier | Jul 25, 2022 | Announcement, Antarctica, Research, SCAR, Science, Southern Ocean, STEM
The National Research Foundation has been approached by the Switzerland-based Group, Polar Holdings AG, which has recently acquired both South African companies “Antarctic Logistics Centre International” and “The Antarctic Company” to assist in coordinating South African scientists on a possible circumnavigation expedition to Antarctica.
Vessel: RV Akademik Tryoshnikov
Departure: early December 2022 (approximately sixty (60 days) charter)
Number of berths available: approximately twenty (20)
Cruise Plan:
Departing from: Cape Town
Departing to: The AT will sail to the vicinity of the Neumeyer Station and end its expedition in the Ross Sea. The AT will then sail to Punta Arenas in Chile where participants will disembark.
Polar Holdings AG needs an indication of interest from the South African community before finalising the charter.
Expression of interest deadline: 28 July 2022
Click here for more information.
Text: Tracy Klarenbeek, Director: Knowledge Advancement and Support, National Research Foundation.
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 25 July 2022.
by Ria Olivier | Mar 2, 2022 | Announcement, Antarctica, COMNAP, Fellowship, IAATO, News, Research, SCAR, Southern Ocean, STEM
Attention all early-career researchers (ECRs).
Fellowship opportunities are now available at three Antarctic organisations.
- The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) – offering one fellowship with funding of up to USD $15,000.
- The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) – offering one fellowship with funding of up to USD $15,000.
- The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) – offering four or five fellowships with funding of up to USD $15,000 each.
COMNAP, IAATO, and SCAR encourage all talented early-career researchers, scientists, engineers, environmental managers, and those in other early-career professions to apply for these fellowships.
“The purpose is to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research by providing annual funding opportunities” (as per the fellowship announcement).
Application Deadlines:
- COMNAP – 30 June 2022
- IAATO – 30 June 2022
- SCAR – 31 August 2022
For more details: Click here.
Download the relevant information here.
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 02 March 2022
by Ria Olivier | Jun 30, 2021 | Announcement, Research, SCAR, Science, Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic
Life Sciences members,
“SCAR is involved with several programs for which we would like your assistance.” Below call for experts that the Vice President for Sciences at SCAR. We would like to know if there are people in the Life Sciences community who would be interested in getting involved in these two initiatives, the SO decade and the Cryosphere pavillion at the COP26.
Southern Ocean United Nations Decade(SO Decade)
Thanks to those of you who helped get word out about the survey. This initiative is coordinated by SCAR and is part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. We are working with SOOS, SCOR, ICED, Clivar, IODE, EPB, IAATO. There has already been one workshop (report can be accessed here) and a second workshop is planned for September in conjunction with the Polar Data Forum. We are in the process of putting together seven working groups (10 members each) that align with the UN-identified societal needs:
- A clean ocean where sources of pollution are identified and removed
- A healthy and resilient ocean where marine ecosystems are mapped and protected
- A predictable ocean where society has the capacity to understand current and future ocean conditions
- A safe ocean where people are protected from ocean hazards
- A sustainably harvested ocean ensuring the provision of food supply
- A transparent ocean with open access to data, information and technologies
- An inspiring and engaging ocean where society understands and values the ocean.
If you would have any suggestions for working group chairs or members, please let me know and I will contact them. There is an online kick-off event planned for July 9 that will be open to anyone interested in joining or learning more. Meeting details will follow, but if you have any people to suggest for working groups please send soon.
Cryosphere Pavilion at COP26
We have been invited to participate in the Cryosphere Pavilion at COP26 which will be in Glasgow Oct 31-Nov12, 2021. We should consider providing speakers and topics. There will be opportunities to be present in person and virtually. The concept note for the Pavilion is attached and there is also a link to the Cryosphere Pavillion at COP25 as an example.
There is also the possibility if having our own side event (likely with partners including the ICCI who are managing the Cryosphere Pavilion). This will be a good opportunity to increase visibility of the relevant SCAR climate science in the context of the UNFCCC.
ISC Transform21
This ISC portal can be used to highlight any climate-related publications, before and during COP26. It may also be a good venue for the ACCE report and other publications from the SRPs. Again, we would like to get a sense of your interest and please let us know if you post any material to the portal.
Contact:
Please get back to Ian, Marc and Yan very rapidly to coordinate Life Sciences interest in participating.
by Ria Olivier | Mar 25, 2021 | Announcement, News, SANAP, SCAR, Science
The XXXVI SCAR Delegates Meeting is currently held online in a series of two-hour sessions over two weeks in March 2021. Bettine van Vuuren is giving the South Africa National Committee members regular feedback. She and Tracy Klarenbeek are South African Respresentatives at the SCAR delegates meeting.
SCAR focuses its science efforts on high priority topical areas through its Scientific Research Programmes (SRPs). Three new programmes were approved by the Executive in 2020 and began officially in January 2021. During the delgeates meeting the following new Scientific Research Programmes have started under the auspices of SCAR. They are:
Integrated Science to Inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation (Ant-ICON). The Ant-ICON SRP will answer fundamental science questions (as identified by the SCAR Horizon Scan), relating to the conservation and management of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and focus on research to drive and inform international decision-making and policy change.
INStabilities and Thresholds in ANTarctica (INSTANT). The INSTANT SRP will address a first-order question about Antarctica’s contribution to sea level. It encompasses geoscience, physical sciences and biological sciences, of the way in which interactions between the ocean, atmosphere and cryosphere have influenced ice-sheets in the past, and what expectations will be in the future with a special focus on quantifying the contributions to global sea level change. They aim to quantify the Antarctic ice sheet’s contribution to past and future global sea-level change.
Near-term Variability and Prediction of the Antarctic Climate System (AntClimnow). AntClimnow will investigate the prediction of near-term conditions in the Antarctic climate system on timescales of years to multiple decades. They will take an integrated approach, looking beyond climate projections of the physical system to consider the Antarctic environment as a whole.
“There is a lot of opportunities for South African Researchers to participate within these new programmes” – Bettine van Vuuren. Please contact the various Chief Officers for more information on how to become involved.
by Ria Olivier | Mar 25, 2021 | Antarctica, Data Management, Research, SANAP, SCAR, Science
The XXXVI SCAR Delegates Meeting is currently held online in a series of two-hour sessions over two weeks in March 2021. Bettine van Vuuren is giving the South Africa National Committee members regular feedback and as such the SANAP science community is informed.
Standing Committee on Antarctic Geographic Information (SCAGI) function is to “manage and improve the geographic framework not only for Antarctic scientific research but also for other activities including operations, environmental management and tourism.” SCAGI National reports are an important part of the SCAGI meeting – they are an opportunity to inform delegates from other organisations about current and planned activities, which may highlight opportunities for collaboration and sharing of resources. Read 2020 SCAGI annual report
SCAGI has many products, tools, links of interest to the Antarctic Geographic Information Community: See
