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Christmas 2020 has already come and gone at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.

It’s amazing how time flies when you are in Antarctica, away from the pandemic crisis, and focusing on the mission. The BELARE team has been at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica for three weeks now, and we’ve already seen the first team members and scientists leave.

Alexis Merlaud is an atmospheric scientist from the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB). He is currently part of the 2020-2021 BELARE expedition, installing instruments dedicated to observing the atmosphere above Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. Dr. Merlaud dedicated some of his time to talk about the ozone hole over Antarctica that forms every year during the austral spring, and why this year’s ozone hole is persisting longer than normal.

While the COVID-19 pandemic kept the symposium from taking place phsycially in Brussels, the 11th annual Arctic Futures Symposium managed to be a highly successful online event.

After an extended quarantine in Cape Town, due to poor weather conditions in Antarctica, the 2020-2021 Belgian Antarctic Research Expedition (BELARE) was finally able to reach the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica (PEA) station!

After 24 days of social isolation in the vicinity of Cape Town and three Covid-19 tests per team member (all came back negative!) the 2020-2021 BELgian Antarctic Research Expedition (BELARE) is ready to begin!

The time has finally arrived! The 2020-2021 Antarctic season upon us!

The BELARE (Belgian Antarctic Research Expedition) team arrived in Cape Town, South Africa at the beginning of November, where they are currently spending two weeks in quarantine before being allowed to journey to the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica (PEA) Research Station, where a shortened  2020 - 2021 season with a reduced team will take place.

As the ill-fated year 2020 rolls to an end, the new Antarctic Season begins for the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research Station.

Before the closure of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica (PEA) Station for overwintering, it was crucial for the BELARE team to complete the construction of the station’s new garage, located in the station’s north annex.

After many interesting editions over the last decade, it is with extreme pleasure that the International Polar Foundation and its many partners from the Arctic community wish to invite Arctic stakeholders and members of the general public to the 11th edition of the Arctic Futures Symposium.