The Western Antarctic Peninsula is one of the Earth’s regions most profoundly affected by climate change. Due to its latitudinal position and setting protruding into the Southern Ocean, this region experiences annual average temperatures just below 0 ºC. This makes the cryosphere highly sensitive to even minor temperature fluctuations. The topography is complex, featuring mountains that exceed 2,000 meters in elevation and a rugged, sloping coastline peppered with numerous islands and hard-to-reach bays. This complicates the monitoring and modeling of climate change impacts. Terrestrial environments are dominated by glaciers and feature many small peninsulas where seasonal snow and permafrost define the landscape, creating hotspots for biodiversity and change.
Despite being one of the most internationally researched regions of Antarctica, the difficult terrain of the Western Antarctic Peninsula poses substantial challenges to scientific investigation, particularly regarding accessing the coastline. Some of the most remote and pristine bays, far from research stations, are also the areas where regional environmental impacts can best be studied. Logistical constraints mean that most projects are conducted near these stations or based on large ships mainly dedicated to marine research.
Against this backdrop, and using logistics with a reduced carbon footprint, the COASTANTAR 2024 Expedition will use a sailing vessel in February 2024 to conduct research in the coastal environments of the Western Antarctic Peninsula. This will allow scientists to access under-studied areas, filling a niche in research that will benefit polar science, understanding the region environmental dynamics and will promote international collaboration. The campaign will have an interdisciplinary scope, focused on studying the effects of climate change on both the terrestrial and marine environments of the Western Antarctic Peninsula, as well as human activities. Key research topics include ecological, cryospheric, hydrological, pedological, and marine changes, as well as the study of anthropogenic impacts on coastal environments. Furthermore, the expedition will also target important themes such as exposure to natural hazards, improving energy efficiency of research and scientific diplomacy.
The expedition is co-funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia and the College on Polar and Extreme Environments of the University of Lisbon (POLAR2E), and the coordination is done by both the Portuguese Polar Program and POLAR2E. The expedition will take place in February 2024 and operations will take place between King George Island and the Palmer archipelago. Scientific projects have been selected through a national competitive call (5) and from a selection process at the University of Lisbon (3). The expedition will include participants from the universities of Lisbon, Algarve and Coimbra, as well as international partners from the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Pontíficia Universidad de Chile. The expedition team consists of 11 scientists and 1 film director, and the logistics are provided by Alegria Marineros, with the Doblon, a 24 m sailing ship used for Antarctic cruising.