The Fall/Winter POLAR2E Newsletter is now available. Along with news about POLAR2E researchers’ activities and events, we continue to support the participation in international conferences for masters and doctoral students, as well as for Early Career Researchers.
The Newsletter is available here: https://shorturl.at/ekPY8
From the funded Exploratory Projects of POLAR2E: “Mercury Dynamics in Permafrost Thaw Systems:
“After my students were here on fieldwork last year, we returned to Fairbanks, Alaska, for another sampling campaign. Sampling permafrost and ice tens of thousands years old in the Vault Permafrost Tunnel and getting samples from permafrost thaw lakes with the aim of understanding the dynamics of organic matter and mercury in this systems, were our goals. This project is coordinated by João Canário from Instituto Superior Técnico e Carla Mora from Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território. In the field, besides João Canário, Henrique Zilhão and Diogo Gonçalves PhD students from IST are part of the team. Nothing would have been possible without funding from POLAR2E and the scientific support of Dr. Katey Anthony and Dr. Sarah Ellen from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.”
(PI: João Canário)
With the COASTANTAR 2024 expedition concluding in South America after team members completed land work at the Chilean Base Prof. Julio Escudero, the mission wrapped up, and the team is en route to Portugal.
The expedition, conducted aboard the 24-meter sailboat “El Doblón,” comprised 11 scientists, 1 filmmaker, and 4 crew members. Sampling took place between King George Island and the US Palmer Station.
Beginning on February 1st at Fildes Peninsula, the team engaged in land work. They were picked up by the sailboat on February 9th, beginning the expedition that ended on February 23rd. Some members returned to Chile, while others stayed a few extra days at Fildes to conclude tasks before departing.
Gonçalo Vieira, the expedition coordinator, highlighted its success, emphasizing the feasibility of conducting interdisciplinary scientific missions on sailboats. Challenges were acknowledged, including weather constraints and sea ice. The team’s consensus was positive, though refinement of processes, extension of mission duration, and potential reduction of visited sites were noted for future expeditions.
On the 6th of February, the expedition of half circumnavigation in East Antarctica will begin within the scope of the project KHIONE, a project within the scope of the College on Polar and Extreme Environments (Polar2E) of the University of Lisbon. Paula Matos (researcher and project coordinator) and Margarida Queirós (team researcher), both from CEG-IGOT, will participate in the expedition. The project will be developed along the expedition that starts in Lyttelton, New Zealand, and ends in Ushuaia, Argentina.
During the expedition, the researchers will develop a multidisciplinary investigation, pairing biodiversity surveys by scientists and tourists. The aim of the project is to test (1) citizen science as a tool to collect and share relevant scientific data from marine and terrestrial ecosystems and the cryosphere; (2) the applicability of citizen science as a value-added tool to promote environmental awareness and sensitivity of the cruise passengers.
The project was selected in the international ARICE-PONANT Antarctic 2023-2024 call and will be implemented on board the polar expedition ship of the PONANT company, “Le Commandant Charcot”.
POLAR2E. College on Polar and Extreme Environments | ULISBOA 