The Society has launched a new set of educational resources to help UK schools engage with the Weddell Sea Expedition.
The S.A. Agulhas II will reach the Weddell Sea in Antarctica in early January 2019. The international team of researchers will be investigating the Larsen C Ice Shelf in search of valuable new insights into the marine environment as they survey the seafloor and under the ice, and document the little-studied biological systems that lie beneath the ice shelf. Depending on the ice conditions, the expedition also hopes to be in a position to use the Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to survey the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance, not seen since she was crushed by ice in 1915.
Polar geographer and environmental scientist Dr John Shears, who is leading the Weddell Sea Expedition, said: “It is a great privilege to be working with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) on their educational programme for the expedition. A key priority for us is to gain new scientific data about what is happening in Antarctica, and enhance the understanding of young people about the region. We look forward to providing regular updates from the vessel to all our followers and supporters throughout January and February.”
We have created the first of a series of resources about the expedition, with a poster being sent to every school in the UK in the new year. We also have a range of video interviews with the expedition team and other free resources available on our website, including the poster for download.
Take a look at our Weddell Sea Expedition resources.
Find out more about the Weddell Sea Expedition.