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Antarctica remains the only continent untouched by the coronavirus pandemic, but its enviable status has necessitated a great sacrifice: Last week, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the British Antarctic Survey announced the near-total suspension of the upcoming summer research season in an effort to insulate facilities and crews from the virus.
The back-to-back announcements from the US and UK follow a similar decision by New Zealand, and it is expected that the dozens of nations working in the area will adopt similar measures in a serious hit to ongoing Antarctic research, Science reports. The three American bases, which generally teem with up to 1,200 researchers between October and March, will instead be maintained by a skeleton crew.
Stephanie Short, the head of Antarctic logistics for the NSF, told NBC News in April that while the effect on research will likely be substantial, “the exact ...
