© CEG/IGOT
PROPOLAR Sends Scientists to Antarctica, Reinforcing Portugal’s Commitment to Antarctic Science
On January 16th, the 13th Portuguese Antarctic Flight departed as part of the 2024-25 Portuguese Antarctic Campaign, an initiative of the Portuguese Polar Programme – PROPOLAR, coordinated by the Centre of Geographical Studies (CEG), a research unit of the Associated Laboratory TERRA.
A chartered aircraft from Portugal has departed for Antarctica, carrying 99 scientists and technicians from various nationalities, reaffirming Portugal’s commitment to Antarctic science. The round-trip flights, conducted on the same day, are a milestone in the Portuguese Antarctic Campaign 2024-25, which will continue until mid-March, as highlighted in the press release.
Among the passengers on this flight are 5 researchers from projects supported by the Portuguese Polar Programme (PROPOLAR), as well as 94 researchers involved in polar programs from Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. In addition to this flight, a second chartered flight in collaboration with the Spanish Polar Programme is scheduled for February 8, 2025, further reinforcing Portugal’s contribution to scientific activities on the “White Continent” during the austral summer—the period of the year with the highest scientific activity.
PROPOLAR flights are the primary means of access for scientists from national institutions to Antarctica, where they will be hosted at research bases and ships of partner countries such as Bulgaria, Chile, Spain, and South Korea. In addition to the researchers benefiting from PROPOLAR flights, other Portuguese teams travel with logistical support from international partners, in a cooperative effort to enhance the impact of the science conducted.
The Portuguese Antarctic Campaign 2024-25, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) – Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation (MECI), through PROPOLAR, includes six research projects in atmospheric, biological, cryospheric, environmental, and Earth sciences, focusing on studying the impacts of climate change in Antarctica. Notable projects include “BIOCRUST-2025 – Biocrust biodiversity as an indicator to diagnose, monitor, and predict climate change impacts on Antarctic ecosystems’ functioning” and “THAWIMPACT – Antarctic Peninsula permafrost under a changing climate: sensitivity, fate, and impacts“, both coordinated by CEG/TERRA researchers Paula Matos and Gonçalo Vieira, respectively.
Several researchers from TERRA play an active role in coordinating and implementing this highly relevant scientific program. In addition to coordinating one of the research projects, Professor Gonçalo Vieira is the coordinator of PROPOLAR, and Professor Teresa Cabrita, also a researcher at TERRA, serves as the Executive Director of PROPOLAR. Their involvement highlights the importance of TERRA’s contribution to the success and development of the program.
For more information about the Portuguese Antarctic Campaign 2024-25 and the Portuguese Polar Programme – PROPOLAR, click here.
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