Coronavirus Precautions Stall Antarctic Field Research

The upcoming summer research season has been suspended amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Written byAmanda Heidt

| 2 min read

Save for Later

mcmurdo station antarctica nsf national science foundation research coronavirus pandemic covid-19 british antartic survey

Listen with Speechify

0:00

2:00

ABOVE: © ISTOCK.COM, JAMES MOORE

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 ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Amanda Heidt
Amanda first began dabbling in scicom as a master’s student studying marine science at Moss Landing Marine Labs, where she edited the student blog and interned at a local NPR station. She enjoyed that process of demystifying science so much that after receiving her degree in 2019, she went straight into a second master’s program in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Formerly an intern at The Scientist, Amanda joined the team as a staff reporter and editor in 2021 and oversaw the publication’s internship program, assigned and edited the Foundations, Scientist to Watch, and Short Lit columns, and contributed original reporting across the publication. Amanda’s stories often focus on issues of equity and representation in academia, and she brings this same commitment to DEI to the Science Writers Association of the Rocky Mountains and to the board of the National Association of Science Writers, which she has served on since 2022. She is currently based in the outdoor playground that is Moab, Utah. Read more of her work at www.amandaheidt.com.
View Full Profile