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This week two members of our team traveled to the coast when they just so happened to encounter a pod of Arnoux's beaked whales swimming and feeding amongst the seaice. These whales are very rarely seen, and marine biologists still know very little about their feeding habits and behavior, which made this sighting even more special!  

There can be strong winds at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica which is ideal for our renewable ideology. Almost all the energy produced at PEA either comes from these wind turbines or the solar PV panels that line the building and facade. 

Every season we fly the flags of the nations that are represented by people at the station as an omen to the international collaboration and efforts required to work in such a remote location.

A member of our team works diligently to clear all the snow from in-front of the Princess Elisabeth station that had piled up over the winter months. 

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Belgian Antarctic Research Program finished another successful season supporting scientific research projects from a wide range of backgrounds. This year there were 16 different research projects that received support from our team at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica - the worlds first and to date only zero emission polar research station.

Meet the International Polar Foundation - an organization unlike any other you've encountered in your life!Our mission: to support scientific research in the most spectacular place on Earth: Antarctica!How do we do it? We operate the world's first zero-emission polar research station!Visit www.antarcticstation.org or get in touch with us at comms@polarfoundation.org to learn more!-----------------------------------------More about the International Polar Foundation:Founded by Belgian polar explorer Alain Hubert, Prof. Hugo Decleir and Prof. André Berger in 2002, the Brussels-based International Polar Foundation (IPF) provides a novel interface between science and society, and was recognized by Belgian Royal Statute as a foundation for the public good in 2002. HM King Philippe is the International Polar Foundation's honorary president.The IPF seeks to bring about a keener appreciation of the role of science, particularly research in the Polar Regions, through a re-examination of the planet’s interconnections, its fragility, the impact of human actions on the environment, and the evolution of millennial climate cycles.To achieve its aims, the IPF has initiated several high-profile projects, including supporting polar science through the creation and operation of the world's first (and to date only) zero-emission polar research station, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. This groundbreaking station runs entirely on renewable wind and solar energy and treats, recycles and reuses all the water it uses.The International Polar Foundation is mandated by the Belgian Polar Secretariat as Antarctic Operator of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. This means the Foundation is responsible for the management and the operation of the zero-emission station and its facilities.This responsibility covers the following tasks:- The upkeep and maintenance of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station and its facilities;- Operational logistics, including the management of the station and its outbuildings, as well as the stocks, with a view to optimal workings of the operations and its use by the scientists in accordance with the scientific programmes approved by the Polar Secretariat;- Measures to be taken to ensure the safety and the assumption of responsibility for all of the people and the goods that arrive at the station;- Updating the technical aspects of the station, as required by and with consent from the Belgian Polar Secretariat.Meet the International Polar Foundation - an organization unlike any other you've encountered in your life! Our mission: to support scientific research in the most spectacular place on Earth: Antarctica! How do we do it? We operate the world's first zero-emission polar research station! Visit www.antarcticstation.org or get in touch with us at comms@polarfoundation.org to learn more! ----------------------------------------- More about the International Polar Foundation: Founded by Belgian polar explorer Alain Hubert, Prof. Hugo Decleir and Prof. André Berger in 2002, the Brussels-based International Polar Foundation (IPF) provides a novel interface between science and society, and was recognized by Belgian Royal Statute as a foundation for the public good in 2002. HM King Philippe is the International Polar Foundation's honorary president. The IPF seeks to bring about a keener appreciation of the role of science, particularly research in the Polar Regions, through a re-examination of the planet’s interconnections, its fragility, the impact of human actions on the environment, and the evolution of millennial climate cycles. To achieve its aims, the IPF has initiated several high-profile projects, including supporting polar science through the creation and operation of the world's first (and to date only) zero-emission polar research station, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. This groundbreaking station runs entirely on renewable wind and solar energy and treats, recycles and reuses all the water it uses. The International Polar Foundation is mandated by the Belgian Polar Secretariat as Antarctic Operator of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. This means the Foundation is responsible for the management and the operation of the zero-emission station and its facilities. This responsibility covers the following tasks: - The upkeep and maintenance of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station and its facilities; - Operational logistics, including the management of the station and its outbuildings, as well as the stocks, with a view to optimal workings of the operations and its use by the scientists in accordance with the scientific programmes approved by the Polar Secretariat; - Measures to be taken to ensure the safety and the assumption of responsibility for all of the people and the goods that arrive at the station; - Updating the technical aspects of the station, as required by and with consent from the Belgian Polar Secretariat.Show lessMeet the International Polar Foundation - an organization unlike any other you've encountered in your life! Our mission: to support scientific research in the most spectacular place on Earth: Antarctica! How do we do it? We operate the world's first zero-emission polar research station! Visit www.antarcticstation.org or get in touch with us at comms@polarfoundation.org to learn more! ----------------------------------------- More about the International Polar Foundation: Founded by Belgian polar explorer Alain Hubert, Prof. Hugo Decleir and Prof. André Berger in 2002, the Brussels-based International Polar Foundation (IPF) provides a novel interface between science and society, and was recognized by Belgian Royal Statute as a foundation for the public good in 2002. HM King Philippe is the International Polar Foundation's honorary president. The IPF seeks to bring about a keener appreciation of the role of science, particularly research in the Polar Regions, through a re-examination of the planet’s interconnections, its fragility, the impact of human actions on the environment, and the evolution of millennial climate cycles. To achieve its aims, the IPF has initiated several high-profile projects, including supporting polar science through the creation and operation of the world's first (and to date only) zero-emission polar research station, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. This groundbreaking station runs entirely on renewable wind and solar energy and treats, recycles and reuses all the water it uses. The International Polar Foundation is mandated by the Belgian Polar Secretariat as Antarctic Operator of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. This means the Foundation is responsible for the management and the operation of the zero-emission station and its facilities. This responsibility covers the following tasks: - The upkeep and maintenance of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station and its facilities; - Operational logistics, including the management of the station and its outbuildings, as well as the stocks, with a view to optimal workings of the operations and its use by the scientists in accordance with the scientific programmes approved by the Polar Secretariat; - Measures to be taken to ensure the safety and the assumption of responsibility for all of the people and the goods that arrive at the station; - Updating the technical aspects of the station, as required by and with consent from the Belgian Polar Secretariat.Show lessMeet the International Polar Foundation - an organization unlike any other you've encountered in your life! Our mission: to support scientific research in the most spectacular place on Earth: Antarctica! How do we do it? We operate the world's first zero-emission polar research station! Visit www.antarcticstation.org or get in touch with us at comms@polarfoundation.org to learn more! ----------------------------------------- More about the International Polar Foundation: Founded by Belgian polar explorer Alain Hubert, Prof. Hugo Decleir and Prof. André Berger in 2002, the Brussels-based International Polar Foundation (IPF) provides a novel interface between science and society, and was recognized by Belgian Royal Statute as a foundation for the public good in 2002. HM King Philippe is the International Polar Foundation's honorary president. The IPF seeks to bring about a keener appreciation of the role of science, particularly research in the Polar Regions, through a re-examination of the planet’s interconnections, its fragility, the impact of human actions on the environment, and the evolution of millennial climate cycles. To achieve its aims, the IPF has initiated several high-profile projects, including supporting polar science through the creation and operation of the world's first (and to date only) zero-emission polar research station, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. This groundbreaking station runs entirely on renewable wind and solar energy and treats, recycles and reuses all the water it uses. The International Polar Foundation is mandated by the Belgian Polar Secretariat as Antarctic Operator of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. This means the Foundation is responsible for the management and the operation of the zero-emission station and its facilities. This responsibility covers the following tasks: - The upkeep and maintenance of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica polar research station and its facilities; - Operational logistics, including the management of the station and its outbuildings, as well as the stocks, with a view to optimal workings of the operations and its use by the scientists in accordance with the scientific programmes approved by the Polar Secretariat; - Measures to be taken to ensure the safety and the assumption of responsibility for all of the people and the goods that arrive at the station; - Updating the technical aspects of the station, as required by and with consent from the Belgian Polar Secretariat.Show less

In January 2024, researcher Sibylle Boxho from the Unviersite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) travelled to Antarctica for the PASPARTOUT project, which is seeking to understand the links between atmospheric circulation patterns, weather regimes, particles, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and moisture in Antarctica. In this video Sibylle explains how she carefully takes samples of snow from a two-metre pit and what she and her colleagues will analyse once they samples arrive back in Belgium. PASPARTOUT is coordinated by the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium with partners Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Prof. Nicole van Lipzig)), Ghent University (research group EnVOC, Prof. Walgraeve) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB, G-Time Laboratory, Prof. Nadine Mattielli). PASPARTOUT is financed by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO).

This video footage of penguins sitting on icebergs at the Princess Ragnhild Coast was shot by drone during a traverse to the coast.