Henryk Arctowski

http://www.arctowski.pl/

Antarctic

Open

Station

Poland

None

1977

Year-Round

The Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station. Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland

The Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic station is located on the western shore of Admiralty Bay on King George Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula) in an ice-free oasis of more than 4.2 km2. The area is restricted by Ezcurra Inlet and the central part of the Admiralty Bay in the north and east, and by glaciers of Warszawa Icefield System in the west and south. Admiralty Bay opens widely into the Bransfield Strait. The surrounding areas differ in height, exceeding 600 m a.s.l. in the northern and north-western part. It is situated within Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA) 1 Admiralty Bay. ASPA 128 Western Shore of Admiralty Bay is located approximately 700 m to the east of the station. The Polish National Antarctic Program also operates two refugees: at Paradise Cove (within ASPA 128) and at Cape Lion’s Rump (50 m outside the border of ASPA 151). The other year-round scientific station, Comandante Ferraz Antarctic station (Brazil), is approximately 10 km away, on the eastern shore of Admiralty Bay.

King George Island is situated in Maritime Antarctic, with prevailing western atmospheric circulation, from which the station is sheltered by the dome of the Arctowski Glacier (more than 650 m). The non-glaciated oasis of Point Thomas, where the station is located, forms a specific, milder topoclimate. Flora of the area is represented by more than three hundred species of lichens, around sixty species of mosses and numerous algae, as well as two species of native vascular plants (Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis). Twenty-four species of birds and six species of pinnipeds have been registered, but only fourteen species of birds and three species of pinnipeds breed here. The Admiralty Bay shelf benthic community is characterized by high species richness and high assemblage diversity. An unique site, Napier Rock, situated at the entrance of the Admiralty Bay, supports especially rich and highly diverse benthic invertebrate fauna. Fish are represented by fifteen species of Nototheniidae.

The Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic station is a year-round, medium-sized station, which was established in 1977 as a base for scientific research and associated logistic operations of the Polish National Antarctic Program. Until 2012, the station was operated by the Department of Antarctic Biology Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), which provided logistical and technical support for the station and was responsible for the scientific management of the station. In 2012, both the station and the Department of Antarctic Biology PAS were incorporated into the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, one of the leading Polish scientific institutions. Most of the buildings were built in 1977. In 1998, parts of the main building and the biological laboratory were reconstructed. In 2007, two laboratory buildings were merged, reducing energy expenditure for heating and shortening utility lines. For additional information, please visit www.arctowski.aq.

The scope of scientific research conducted at the Henryk Arctowski Station includes microbiology, biology, ecology, climatology and Earth sciences. Long-term monitoring programs exist for ecology, meteorology and glaciology. New methods using fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to collect geospatial environmental data are being developed. Microbial collection of more than five-hundred strains of Antarctic microorganisms collected in the vicinity of the station are maintained in the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS for research on bioremediation and cold-adaptation. Research on non-native species and the pathways of their dissemination on King George Island is conducted. Year-long programs to monitor breeding and non-breeding bird and pinniped species in the vicinity of the station and in ASPA 128 has been conducted over the past 40 years. International collaboration forms a key part of the Polish Antarctic Program.

The Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station was established as a base for scientific research and associated logistic operations of the Polish National Antarctic Program. Therefore, all people living and working there are either scientists or technical support personnel. The Station is also visited by tourists from cruise ships and yachts. Number of ship visits fluctuates (maximum number was recorded in 2006/2007 season – 27 cruise ships, 5800 tourists). The visits last mostly a few hours.

Twice a year (November and March) charter ship supplies Arctowski station. November to March flight access from South America is possible via Chilean infrastructure on the King George Island (RODOFO MARSH). From RODOFO MARSH to Arctowski station helicopter or boat is needed.

Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics Polish Academy of Sciences

Government

Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Science (PAS)

http://www.ibb.waw.pl

0000-00-00

No