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Quarterly science bulletin
Edition 14, July 2026
Antarctic science, Australia's future
Several hundred researchers will gather at the University of Tasmania in Hobart next month for the second Australian Antarctic Research Conference (AARC 2026). This biennial event brings together Australia’s Antarctic research community from the university sector and government agencies, at a time of rapid and extreme climate-related changes on and around the icy continent. The themes of this multi-disciplinary national conference are:
- Antarctic ice loss and its impacts
- Protecting Antarctica from existing and emerging threats
- The past, present and future of Antarctic and Southern Ocean systems
- Innovations in Antarctic and Southern Ocean research capabilities
- Antarctic research for decision-making
- Looking forward: Australian Antarctic research over the next decade
The conference program features:
- more than 300 participants from around Australia
- a welcome reception at the University's new city campus, The Forest
- an Early Career Researchers Day preceding the conference
- more than 20 plenary presentations plus seven keynotes
- more than 100 presentations across 27 parallel sessions
- nearly 140 posters including 24 lightning talks
If you'd like to attend, there are still places available. Registrations for the conference close 28 July.
AARC 2026 is sponsored by the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, and the Australian Antarctic Division. The conference is supported by the Tasmanian Government.
Ice and Fire: The Mystery of Heard Island
Heard Island is a landscape of fire, ice and unique ecosystems – a critical climate frontier of extraordinary beauty and extremes.
During the week of the conference, we're holding a special public event about Heard Island, in partnership with the University of Tasmania's 'Island of Ideas' public talks series.
In this visually rich presentation, four scientists share firsthand experiences of the World Heritage-listed island, from shrinking glaciers on an active volcano to diverse wildlife in rapidly changing and challenging environments.
You're invited to attend the event on 26 August, either in Hobart or online. Please get your free ticket here.
Welcome to the latest edition of 'Southern Signals' (archive here), a quarterly bulletin to inform decision-makers, policy-shapers, journalists, researchers, stakeholders and the general public about our science and research activities — and why they matter.
kind regards,
Professor Delphine Lannuzel
Program leader,
Australian Antarctic Program Partnership
University of Tasmania, Hobart
AAPP SCIENCE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Antarctic change drives slowdown of global ocean circulation
Climate change is altering the deepest parts of the world’s oceans, with long-term consequences for ocean circulation, heat transport and carbon storage
Melting from the top: Ice shelf vulnerable to warm surface waters
A high-resolution ocean model enables an important shift in how we think about ocean-driven melting in East Antarctica
‘Rollercoaster’ currents in Southern Ocean mapped by satellite and robot gliders
Oceanographers map currents with dramatic ups-and-downs in a giant whirlpool spinning off the polar front
History of volcanic eruptions stored in East Antarctic ice core
Opening a new window on Southern Hemisphere eruptions, atmospheric circulation, and volcanic influences on climate
Where Antarctic science meets policy
Snapshots and video presentations from the inaugural Antarctic Science-Policy Dialogue to communicate the significance of rapid changes in the deep south for Australian policy
‘MIZ-ing’ in action: How much of Antarctic sea ice is affected by waves?
Measuring the true extent of an under-studied and crucial region of the Antarctic sea-ice system for the first time
There are only two aquaria in the world that breed Antarctic krill – the Australian Antarctic Division in Hobart and the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium in Japan. Watch a video about their long-term research collaboration.
SOME RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Our scientists publish more than 100 research papers each year
The role of waves in Antarctic sea ice: how and why sea ice can retreat so rapidly each summer, and what it means for climate models
Measuring the impact of Australian ice core research: a framework for understanding how research is being used and the impact of science on policy
Visualising ice sheets at your fingertips: PhD student makes a three-dimensional mapping tool of Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets for fun—and science
Read a multimedia feature story (best viewed on large screen) about the quest for ancient ice, and a new gas analysis lab measuring its different chemical components. One of only a few of its kind in the world, this lab in Hobart is operated as a partnership between the Australian Antarctic Division
and the University of Tasmania.
