Constanza Barrientos, Author at Instituto Milenio BASE

The installation of biodiversity observatories and the collection of samples for genomic studies were some of the activities carried out this 2022-2023 Antarctic season by researchers from the BASE Millennium Institute on the white continent.

April 11, 2023.- At least 30 researchers from the Millennium Institute BASE were part of the LIX Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ECA 59) coordinated by the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH). From January to early March 2023, they carried out work in various areas of the Antarctic peninsula and the South Shetland islands.

Biodiversity observatories

In the area of Bahía Fildes, King George Island, a team led by the principal investigator of the Millennium Institute BASE, also the University of Magallanes, PhD. Karin Gerard, carried out the installation of the Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structure (ARMS) of the Marine Observatory. In addition, recordings were made with benthic sleds, sample collection with trawls and phytoplankton nets.

l’s teama Dra. Karin Gerard was made up of an academic from the Universidad Austral of Chile (UACh) and researcher at the Institute of Marine and Limnological Sciences (ICML), Vincente Villabolos; the academic of the University of Sorbonne and researcher of the Station Marine Concarneau of the National Museum of Natural History of France, PhD. Cyril Gallut; and the professional diver, Alberto Ahumada.

For its part, the team led by the PhD. Tamara Contador, an academic at the University of Magallanes and a researcher at the Millennium Institute BASE, the Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), and the Millennium Nucleus of Southern Invasive Salmonids (INVASAL), installed sensors to measure environmental parameters, and collected samples of freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates, in the area of Fildes Bay, Ardely Peninsula and Deception Island.

The installation of the sensors and the sampling were carried out within the framework of the Earth Observatory project together with the academic from the Catholic University of Maule, also an adjunct researcher at the Millennium Institute BASE and CHIC, PhD. Hugo Benítez.

Photograph by Melisa Gañan, doctoral student at the Millennium Institute BASE.

Terrestrial ecology team

PhD. Tamara Contador and PhD. Hugo Benítez also carried out monitoring of fly populations Parochlus steinenii on King George Island, Deception Island and Nelson Island, sampling of Chicken branchinecta and Bockella poppei (within the framework of the postdoctoral project of the researcher affiliated with the Millennium Institute BASE, PhD. Claudia Maturana) and collection of the invasive fly Trichocera maculipennis on King George Island. In the places where they found populations of Parochlus steinenii, B. gainii and B. poppei, made chemical measurement of the lake water.

For her part, the doctoral student at the Millennium Institute BASE, Melisa Gañan, who was aboard the DAP Mares vessel Betanzos, surveyed the land in search of the winged fly Parochlus steinenii, associated with lakes and lagoons, and the wingless fly Belgium Antarctic, which is associated to a greater extent with mosses and terrestrial plants such as Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis.

Next to Melisa Gañan, ishad the undergraduate student at the University of Concepción (UdeC), Micaela Conejeros, who works together with the principal investigator of the Millennium Institute BASE, also a UdeC academic and director of the Biogeography, Macroevolution and Systematics Laboratory (BIOMAS) PhD. Pablo Guerrero. Micaela is dedicated to the search for vascular plants such as Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis.

Photograph by Daniela Nualart, doctoral student at the Millennium Institute BASE.

Collection of lake samples and freshwater invertebrates

The PhD. Angie Díaz, academic at the University of Concepción (UdeC) and principal investigator at the Millennium Institute BASE, together with a doctoral student from the University of Chile, Sebastian Rosenfeld, sailed for 15 days on the DAP Mares vessel Betanzos. By means of diving and collecting on the coast, they obtained samples of marine invertebrates (echinoderms, molluscs and crustaceans) with the aim of generating a biodiversity inventory of the eastern sector of the Antarctic peninsula.

On the other hand, the doctoral student from the University of Chile and the Millennium Institute BASE, Diego Ahumada, dedicated himself to collecting water and sediment samples from 11 different lakes on King George Island, and measuring physicochemical parameters of the water (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and conductivity) with the aim of studying the bacterial communities of this ecosystem. .

Collection of marine vertebrates

In the area of King George Island, UACh academics and researchers from the Millennium Institute BASE and the IDEAL Center, PhD. Luis Vargas- Chacoff and PhD. Kurt Paschke, together with the doctoral student from the UACh, Centro IDEAL and Millennium Institute BASE, Daniela Nualart, they collected adult fish (Antarctic Harpagifer) and amphipods (Gondogeneia antarctica, Cheirimedon femoratus and Gliptonotus antarcticus) for physiological studies. The team worked together with the Cont Anadromous Fish Research Center of United States, Steve McCormick, and the researcher from the University of Algarve in Portugal, Pedro Guerreiro.

PhD students from the University of Chile and the Millennium Institute BASE, Valentina Bernal and Francisca Rodriguez, also collected samples of Antarctic Harpagifer but in the larva stage and with the support of a bongo network on Greenwich Island, in order to carry out genomic studies.

Photograph of Valentina Bernal, doctoral student at the Millennium Institute BASE.

Study of habitats and sampling for genetic analysis in Antarctic birds

ECA 59 also had the participation of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students from the Instituto Milenio BASE, as was the case of the UACh doctoral student, also the IDEAL Center, Albert Palomino, and the undergraduate student from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) and the UC Molecular Biodiversity Laboratory (directed by PhD. Juliana Vianna), Elisa González, who camped for 70 days at Punta Armonía, Nelson Island. The objective of his stay was to carry out biological sampling, aerial and ground counts, and breeding and post-breeding tracking in chinstrap penguin colonies, under the leadership of the INACH and BASE Millennium Institute researcher, Dr. Lucas Krüger.

More members of the UC Molecular Biodiversity Laboratory team were also present at ECA59. In the vicinity of the General Bernardo O’Higgins base, Claudia Ulloa, a researcher from the Instituto Milenio BASE, along with PUC doctoral student Beatriz Esnard and PUC master’s student Eduardo Pizarro, carried out ecological monitoring studies in gentoo and chinstrap penguins. They carried out the installation of GPS and the obtaining of blood samples, with the aim of studying the use of the habitat by breeding penguins.

Likewise, the UCH doctoral researcher, Daly Noll; the doctoral student of the Andrés Bello University (UNAB), Lucila Morales; and the PUC undergraduate student, Josefina Jorquera; they collected samples of penguins, skuas and cormorants, during the 15 days they were sailing on the Betanzos vessel.

Photograph by Daly Noll, doctoral student at the Millennium Institute BASE.

Works based Professor Julio Escudero

The principal investigator of the Millennium Institute BASE, also a researcher at INACH, PhD. César Cárdenas, remained for about 30 days in the place, carrying out tasks as Head of Base Professor Julio Escuderodel INACH, coordinating the logistical and scientific activities offurther of 12 projects developed during said period.

The doctoral student from the University of Chile, also the Millennium Institute BASE, Magdalena Osorio, Professor Julio Escudero also remained at the base of INACH. The purpose of his stay was to analyze the technical feasibility of being able to carry out his project during the next ECA60 and the logistical requirements to be able to carry out experiments in the aquariums of said base.

Main pictura: M. Institute BASE/ Hugo Benítez

A work carried out by researchers from the Millennium Institute BASE and the Microbial Ecology Laboratory (LEMi) of the University of Chile and which seeks to contribute to the description and conservation of the biodiversity of the ecosystems associated with lichens in the Aysén region and the Magellan region.

April 6, 2023.- The largest collection of basidiomycete yeasts isolated from the thallus of Peltigera lichens and the first collection of yeasts associated with lichens from southern Chile, was published in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) by researchers from the Millennium Institute BASE and the Microbial Ecology Laboratory (LEMi) of the University of Chile, guided by Dr. Julieta Orlando.

The initiative was led by Yosbany Pérez, a doctoral student from the University of Chile and also a researcher at LEMi and the Millennium Institute BASE, who pointed out that the work carried out “provided evidence that lichens would act as a specific niche that harbors different microorganisms, including yeasts. Those that are currently considered a new essential component of the symbiosis of lichens. This helps to provide more information about the components of the lichen mycobiome and, therefore, to enhance the conservation of these microorganisms and the ecosystems that surround them.”

The collection studied comprises 180 basidiomycete yeasts isolated and identified from the thallus of four Peltigera lichen species (P. frigida, P. fuscopraetextata, P. rufescens and P. antarctica) collected in southern Chile, specifically in the Coyhaique National Reserve and the Patagonia Natural Park, Tamango sector, located in the Aysén region of General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo; and in the Karukinka Natural Park and Navarino Island, located in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic region.

This study is the first to describe the presence of basidiomycete yeasts in Peltigera lichens. A great diversity of genera of basidiomycetes was found, belonging to the classes Agaricostilbomycetes, Cystobasidiomycetes, Microbotryomycetes and Tremellomycetes. The phylogenetic analyzes carried out suggest the presence of species not reported so far, requiring additional biochemical and physiological studies to describe these potential new species.

Basidiomycete yeast isolates. Image of Yosbany Pérez, doctoral student at the Millennium Institute BASE.

Some basidiomycete yeasts reported in association with lichens have a lifestyle completely dependent on them, so it is highly probable that the lichen species studied are reservoirs of unreported yeasts. The identification of these new yeast species could have future applications in research, for example, in the field of biotechnology.

“It is very important for the entire scientific community that there be free access to these data, so that any research team that needs the information can consult and use it. This platform (GBIF) allows anyone to access the database and be able to think about other investigations”, indicated the data manager of the Millennium Institute BASE, Catalina Marín, who worked with the team in the publication of the data.

For her part, PhD. Julieta Orlando, Alternate Director and principal investigator of the Millennium Institute BASE, stated that “we are committed to ensuring that the information we generate reaches various audiences, since we believe that knowledge of the biodiversity of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic environments it must not only reach decision makers, one of our fundamental objectives, but also other scientific teams and the community in general.”

“We are convinced that, through this transfer of knowledge, it will be possible to generate the necessary awareness to protect the biodiversity of these environments. In this sense, the publication of repositories of various organizations in GBIF is essential for us to make research data easy to find, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR principles)”, added the director of LEMi.

The team was also made up of researchers from LEMi and the University of Chile: Nayla Serey, Natalia Lizana, Katerin Almendras and Juana Leal; and by the academic from the Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry of the Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain), Ana María Millanes.

Find the collection here https://doi.org/10.15468/hw7k9r

Main picture: Peltigera lichens by M. Insitute BASE/ Julieta Orlando

Punta Arenas, April 3, 2023.- Chinstrap penguins, during their reproductive period, feed almost exclusively on krill. But, what will happen to them if the availability of their main food is affected by environmental conditions such as rising temperatures, reduced sea ice and lower marine productivity? Will it negatively impact their populations, their reproduction and, consequently, in their young?

Some answers are contained in a recent study published in Scientific Reports, one of the most important science magazines on the planet, in which researchers from the Scientific Department of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), Francisco Santa Cruz, Lucas Krüger and César Cárdenas participated, these last two are also members of the Millennium Institute for Biodiversity of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems (BASE).

Field works. INACH image.

The importance of this article lies in being one of the few works that directly relates food availability, feeding behaviors of a marine predator (chinstrap penguin) and evaluation of environmental parameters. “There are almost no studies linking in a synchronized manner the satellite tracking of marine predators, the acoustic abundance of krill, and satellite environmental information. Even more important is having achieved it during several consecutive campaigns; this allowed us to generate a time series with which we were able to answer key questions. Chile is one of the first countries to achieve this in Antarctica”, says Francisco Santa Cruz, one of the authors of the letter.

In simple words, everything is connected: the amount of sea ice influences the oceanic primary productivity when it melts in spring-summer and, consequently, there is less availability of krill that chinstrap penguins feed on. “The penguins in the study area have adapted in such a way that they synchronize the birth of their chicks with these increases in productivity that are more or less cyclical and predictable. When environmental variations cause oceanic productivity peaks to change in space or time, penguins are probably not able to maintain the same chick survival rates. This is what our results indicated for the colony we have studied”, explains Dr. Lucas Krüger, a specialist in Antarctic birds.

To reach these conclusions, different sampling techniques were combined, such as transects in the INACH Karpuj scientific boat, penguin tracking with GPS devices and TDR depth sensors, as well as aerial photographs taken with a drone. “Thanks to scientific platforms such as Karpuj, we have been able to collect important acoustic data on krill, in order to be able, together with satellite data, to help understand bird feeding patterns and how these are influenced by the environment in the face of changes in krill availability. ”, expressed Dr. César Cárdenas.

The work focused specifically on Punta Armonía, Nelson Island (South Shetland Islands) in the INACH Antarctic Scientific Expeditions of the years 2019-2020 (ECA 56) and 2021-2022 (ECA 58). On the island there is a Specially Protected Antarctic Zone (ASPA), where the environment is protected from human presence in activities such as tourism and intensive research. “In this case, we only focused on Nelson Island, because it is the site where we have been monitoring since 2019, we also took acoustic data to estimate the abundance off the island, which helped to carry out a more complete study that did not it only includes the satellite tracking of the birds”, mentions Cárdenas.

Preliminary results indicate that this population has been reduced by more than half, following the reduction values that were presented in another study, but it remains an important colony of chinstrap penguins in the South Shetland Islands.

In this sense, the study that has just been published is connected to other previous research published by Krüger at the beginning of March, where it is suggested that the increase in the frequency of years of low krill availability due to the increase in winter temperatures , could eventually explain the population trends that are verified in the northernmost areas of the Antarctic peninsula. However, it will be necessary to verify if this phenomenon is repeated in more colonies for this hypothesis to be accepted.

The importance of Marine Protected Areas

For Dr. César Cárdenas, this study is a new piece to the puzzle of the work carried out in the INACH Marine Protected Areas Program and also the annual monitoring that has been carried out at Punta Armonía since 2019. This type of study highlights the importance of protecting The antartica. “The environment is changing, so it is necessary to improve our knowledge of how organisms behave and how they are affected by environmental changes, which will increase in the future according to climate change projections,” he points out.

These INACH researchers are working on a proposal for a Marine Protected Area (AMP) for Domain 1 (Antarctic Peninsula), a tool for ocean conservation and to safeguard biodiversity and manage fisheries, while restoring and preserving the ecosystem function, which is strongly challenged by climate change.

Francisco Santa Cruz and Lucas Krüger in INACH’s Karpuj boat. INACH image.

The MPA for Domain 1 is critical to prevent another driver of krill decline, such as fisheries, from having an additional impact, eventually reducing the ability of chinstrap penguins to adapt to changes in their environment. For example, in periods of low krill availability, fisheries could prevent them from being caught and still available to penguins.

Nuria Salmerón and Solenne Belle also participated in the scientific article “Environmental changes generate less availability of Antarctic krill, affecting the reproduction of chinstrap penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula”, who completed their master’s thesis in 2022 at INACH by the International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources (IMBRSea), from the University of Ghent, Belgium. As authors, the contribution of Nicolás Alegría from the Fisheries Research Institute (Inpesca), Júlia Gronmann Finger, Denyelle Hennayra Cora and María Virginia Petry from the Ornithology and Marine Animals Laboratory of the University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS) and Cristina Hernandez from the University of Magallanes.

By: Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH)

Main image: Francisco Santa Cruz

The directors of both centers of the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) will meet on March 16 to share their experiences diving in Antarctic waters, and as part of a collaborative international expedition.

Monday, March 13, 2023.- “Let’s dive into Antarctica?: experiences and learning from an international scientific expedition to the Weddell Sea”, is the title of the virtual discussion organized by the Millennium Institute for Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE) and the Millennium Nucleus for the Ecology and Conservation of Temperate Mesophotic Reef Ecosystems (NUTME). The event will be broadcast on digital platforms of both institutions, on Thursday, March 16 at 6:00 p.m.

At the meeting, the Director of the Millennium Institute BASE, Dr. Elie Poulin, will share views on diving and science, together with the Director of the Millennium Nucleus NUTME, Alejandro Pérez-Matus, who for 15 days were part of an international scientific expedition that took them through the inhospitable Larsen B platform and diving in the depths of the Weddell Sea, in Antarctica.

Moderated by Nadia Politis, a journalist specialized in science and Director of the Communications Department of the Millennium Institute BASE, the guests will discuss technical aspects of diving in icy waters, their personal experiences in the expedition dives they shared in December 2022 and the impact that diving has on science.

The event has the support of the University of Chile, the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the Subtidal Ecology Laboratory SUBELAB, U-Antártica, the Association of Young Polar Scientists (APECS-Chile), and the Antarctic Youth Coalition of Punta Arenas (AYC-PUQ).

You can access the YouTube channel of the Millennium Institute BASE here.

Punta Arenas, March 1, 2023.- Nearly 60% of the world population of chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) reproduce in the Antarctic Peninsula and its northernmost maritime islands (South Shetland Islands and Orkney Islands), an emblematic species of the White Continent that has experienced a dramatic decline of about 30% of its population in just three generations.

This categorical data is part of a study carried out by the researcher of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) and the Millennium Institute BASE, PhD. Lucas Krüger and recently published by the specialized magazine Diversity, where it also reveals that in a period of 40 to 50 years , 62% of the colonies (groups of penguins) suffered declines greater than 50%.

He also warns that these conditions already mentioned (30% decrease in three generations), would place it in the category of vulnerability to extinction, according to the criteria used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

To carry out this elaborate analysis, standardized records and counts of penguins in the Antarctic peninsula for six decades (since 1960) were studied. Likewise, since 2017, an international group of scientists has been dedicated to compiling all the existing information and making it available on a free access platform that is updated every year and that is on the website: https://www. .penguinmap.com/

Photography: Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH)

Possible causes of the decrease

The dramatic levels of decline in these populations are added to the fact that the suspected causes are probably not reversible in the short or medium term.

For the rest, there is some controversy in the scientific community regarding the factors that may be leading to the decline in chinstrap penguin populations. Recent evidence suggests that “the most likely reason is the spatiotemporal change in krill abundance in the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula due to warming and winter sea ice retreat. It is also probable that other factors act together, mainly associated with climate change, affecting the survival of the nestlings in the breeding colonies and of the juveniles in their first year of life”, declares Lucas Krüger.

Other relevant hypotheses are related to the recovery of whale populations, which are also important consumers of Antarctic krill, in addition to the increase in krill fisheries in Antarctica. “These factors could have contributed to population dynamics, although evidence suggests this could only occur when there are years of low krill abundance”, he adds.

Photography: Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH)

Projections

The INACH researcher explains that the models that have projected changes in the ecosystem of the Antarctic Peninsula in the face of different environmental scenarios indicate that current decline trends should be followed up.

“But at the same time, it is complex and difficult with the current knowledge that is available, to give an accurate estimate of the future of the species. For now, we can say that in the recent past the populations have declined considerably, and could be put at risk if the trends continue. Better understanding how this species relates to rapid environmental changes in the Antarctic Peninsula is critical,” he says.

The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the areas of the planet that has suffered the most rapidly from the effects of global warming in recent years and these changes are of great concern to scientists around the world.

The INACH is a technical body of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with full autonomy in everything related to Antarctic matters of a scientific, technological and dissemination nature. INACH complies with the National Antarctic Policy by encouraging the development of excellent research, effectively participating in the Antarctic Treaty System and related forums, strengthening Magallanes as the gateway to the White Continent and carrying out actions to disseminate Antarctic knowledge among citizens. .

Text and images: Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH)

Within the framework of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, declared every February 11 by the United Nations, both organizations joined the Millennium Institute BASE to reflect on biodiversity research, gender equality and the role of girls and adolescents in public advocacy.

Santiago, February 10, 2023.- Through the campaign #TremendasCientíficas #11F Fundación Tremendas, the Regional Office of Education for Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago) and the Millennium Institute BASE came together to reflect on gender equity, science, and the role of young people and girls in public advocacy.

Through the questions “Why is it important that girls/women are interested in the study of Austral biodiversity?” and “Why is the education of girls and adolescents in science key to motivating the participation of women in STEM?”, throughout February reflections and views of scientists, young people and girls will be shared through the social networks of the three institutions. .

For Dr. Julieta Orlando, alternate director of the Millennium Institute BASE, making visible the diversity of women’s perspectives on research enriches reflections on scientific work: “It is increasingly important that we be able to know different points of view, different disciplines and approaches to science. In the case of our Millennium Institute BASE, we have a significant percentage of researchers from Puerto Williams, Punta Arenas, Valdivia, Concepción and Santiago focused on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic biodiversity”, she affirms.

For her part, María Ignacia Aybar, executive director of Fundación Tremendas, comments on the relevance of generating alliances that promote the participation of girls and women in science: “It is very important that girls meet other referents and that they themselves are inspired by to others to pursue scientific careers. Education is essential to reduce gender gaps and this collaboration aims at that”, she points out.

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in recognition of the key role women play in the scientific and technological community. Thus, each year it seeks to make women scientists visible and support, along with promoting the access of women and girls to education, training and research in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The Instituto Milenio Biodiversidad de Ecosistemas Antárticos y Subantarcticos (Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems) is a center of excellence dependent on the National Agency for Research and Development of Chile (ANID) that seeks to generate cutting-edge scientific knowledge, along with training young people researchers and researchers around the biodiversity of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic ecosystems. More information at https://institutobase.cl

By: Nadia Politis and Sara Vidal

Photography: I. Milenio BASE/N.Politis

The student from the Catholic University of Chile, Eduardo Pizarro, was selected by the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) to carry out his research at the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN) in Madrid.

February 2, 2023, Santiago. – The IAATO Antarctic Fellowship 2022, from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, was awarded to the student of the Catholic University of Chile and master’s researcher of the Millennium Institute Biodiversity Institute of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Eduardo Pizarro. The scholarship includes a three-month internship at the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Spain, to continue developing his research on Antarctic penguins.

The objective of the researcher at the Molecular Biodiversity Laboratory is to investigate the changes in distribution and abundance of Antarctic penguins affected by global change, through the study of different ecological niche modeling approaches. “This scholarship allows us to contribute to the investigation of Antarctic ecosystems and their response to global change, which is one of the objectives set by the BASE Millennium Institute,” he said.

“I am very happy to receive the support of IAATO, this scholarship is a recognition of the excellent work that we are doing in the Laboratory of Molecular Biodiversity and in the BASE Millennium Institute for the investigation of Antarctic ecosystems. This opportunity means growth in my career as a young researcher, by giving me the opportunity to carry out the research project that I developed with the guidance of Dr. Juliana A. Vianna”, expressed the UC student.

Eduardo Pizarro started his project under the tutelage of the expert in biological conservation and Molecular ecology, Dr. Juliana A. Vianna, principal investigator of the Molecular Biodiversity Laboratory and the BASE Millennium Institute. During his internship, he will have the guidance of Dr. Pedro Aragón, senior researcher at the MNCN, and Dr. Luis Pertierra, researcher at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

More information about the IAATO Antarctic Fellowship here.

By: Constanza Barrientos

Through the Latin American Student Membership Grant for the Wildlife Disease Association, the Wildlife Disease Association, WDA (Wildlife Disease Association) recognized the Master’s student in Natural Resources and attached researcher at the Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic Ecosystems and Subantarctic (BASE) Claudia Ulloa, among more than 75 applicants.

A membership scholarship aimed at promoting and promoting research in Latin America, together with positioning Latin American researchers internationally, is the objective of the Latin American Student Membership Grant for the Wildlife Disease Association, which recognized the Veterinary Doctor and Master’s student in Natural Resources from the Pontificia Universidad Católica, Claudia Ulloa, as one of its beneficiaries.

Ulloa, also a member of the UC Molecular Biodiversity Laboratory directed by Dr. Juliana Vianna, points out that the scholarship allows the creation of contact networks with researchers from all over the world, who are developing issues related to diseases in wildlife: “also I will be able to attend this year’s International Congress, in order to present the results of my master’s research, as well as access funds that allow me to develop my research ideas this year”, he says.

Researcher affiliated to the Millennium Institute BASE, Claudia Ulloa. Picture: I. Millennium BASE/C. Barrientos

After the success of the call for the program, and with more than 75 applications, the selection results brought a long-awaited news to Claudia Ulloa, who says that she is happy to know that the effort and passion she has dedicated to her formative years is bearing fruit. : “My trajectory and the results I have obtained are recognized. This motivates me to continue researching for the conservation of wildlife, and to continue creating and working on research projects, now together with the Millennium Institute BASE”, she affirms.

Regarding future links, Claudia emphasizes that her membership of the Bioethics Committee of the Millennium Institute BASE will allow her to make contact with international researchers with extensive experience in the management and well-being of wildlife from different taxonomic groups: “I will be able to make available the new updates and international standards, along with jointly finding the best options and establishing high-standard local management and biosecurity protocols. This, in a context of increasing zoonotic diseases (transmitted from animals to humans) and outbreaks of diseases in wildlife, research with wildlife must maintain high biosafety standards in order to reduce the risks of contagion. or transmission of diseases in humans and between animals”, he says.

The mission of the Wildlife Disease Association is to promote healthy wildlife and ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, and environmentally sustainable solutions to One Health challenges.

More information about the Latin American Student Membership Grant, part of the Latin American Student Membership Grant for the Wildlife Disease Association here: https://www.wdalatinoamerica.org/beca-membresia-estudiantes/

By: Nadia Politis

Main picture: Claudia Ulloa in Antarctica, within the framework of ECA 59 of INACH (2023).

Strengthening knowledge about Climate Change, antarctic biodiversity, together with promoting its visibility through public advocacy, were part of the reflections addressed by the researcher from the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) and the Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic Ecosystems and Subantarctic (BASE), PhD. César Cárdenas, in Congreso Futuro 2023 in Punta Arenas.

Punta Arenas, January 17, 2023-. With the themes “City in motion” and “Climate justice”, a new version of the Congreso Futuro 2023 began in the Magallanes region, a meeting led by the Senate of the Republic of Chile, and the Encuentros del Futuro foundation.

Regional ministerial secretary CTCI Austral Macrozone, Verónica Vallejos; INACH Director, PhD. Marcelo Leppe, Undersecretary of CTCI, PhD. Carolina Gainza; Catriona McKinnon; Katrina Johnston; PhD. Cesar Cardenas; and President of Prisma austral, Marcelo Agüero. Picture: Millennium I. BASE/ C. Barrientos

Under the motto #SinLimiteReal, exhibitors and attendees met at the Claudio Paredes Chamorro Cultural Center in Punta Arenas, after an inauguration led by the Undersecretary of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (CTCI), PhD. Carolina Gainza Cortés, the Regional Governor of Magallanes, Jorge Flies, the National Director of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), PhD. Marcelo Leppe, the Rector of the University of Magallanes (UMAG), José Maripani, and the Research Director of UMAG, Marcelo Navarrete.

Together with PhD. Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman, a researcher, educator, and leader in applied anthropology from Philadelphia (United States), and PhD. Catriona Mckinnon, a professor of Political Theory at the University of Exeter (United Kingdom), the principal investigator from the Millennium Institute BASE, also the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), PHD. César Cárdenas joined the reflection on Climate Change, Antarctica and public advocacy: “It is super important that people have live access, since the Future Congress is the most important instance that we have in the dissemination of Science, with the possibility of listening to speakers from all over the world, and sharing different types of presentations from different areas of knowledge”, he pointed out.

Cárdenas, PhD in Marine Biology and scientific diver, addressed the impact of Climate Change in Antarctica, and the importance of transmitting scientific knowledge to people and decision makers: “It is time to act: to strengthen the link between science, public policies, which require conversations between all parties such as scientists, politicians, industry and civil society”, he highlighted.

PhD. César Cárdenas in Congreso Futuro. Picture of: Millennium I. BASE/ C. Barrientos

Finally, the researcher from the Millennium Institute BASE underlined the role of international institutions such as the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Resources (CCRVMA- CCAMLR): “There are a series of changes that are taking place, and where the projections say that they will have greater consequences in the polar environment. Therefore, it is not only necessary to stay in the generation of knowledge, it is important to reach decision makers, authorities, the world of politics. That they are capable of absorbing this information and that it becomes decisions”.

The Congreso Futuro is an instance organized by the Senate of the Republic of Chile and Encuentros del Futuro Foundation. In its version in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic region, it had the support of the Ciencia Pública program of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Regional Government, the Illustrious Municipality of Punta Arenas, the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), the University of Magallanes (UMAG) and the Prisma Austral Foundation.

[VIDEO] Check the presentation of PhD. César Cárdenas here:

By: Direction of Communications BASE Millennium Institute

Main picture: PhD. César Cárdenas in Congreso Futuro. Picture of: Millennium I. BASE/ C. Barrientos

The director of the Millennium Institute for Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Dr. Elie Poulin, with the director of the Millennium Nucleus for the Ecology and Conservation of Temperate Mesophotic Reef Ecosystems (NUTME), Dr. Alejandro Pérez-Matus dived in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, on a 15-day international expedition that took them to the inhospitable Larsen B ice shelf.

Santiago, January 13, 2023.- The exchange of disciplinary experiences, together with the incorporation of new research methodologies, was the objective of the polar expedition carried out between the centers of excellence of the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID); Millennium Institute for Biodiversity of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems (BASE) and Millennium Nucleus for the Ecology and Conservation of Temperate Mesophotic Reef Ecosystems (NUTME).

Picture of: Millennium I. BASE/ N. Politis

For the director of the BASE Millennium Institute and academic from the University of Chile, Dr. Elie Poulin, the collaboration meant fundamental support in scientific work in the field, and opened up new possibilities for carrying out projects: “In highly demanding conditions, as it is to carry out scientific diving in Antarctica, it is essential to have disciplinary experience that allows operations to be carried out safely and successfully. Therefore, working with NUTME was a fantastic experience, which we hope to be able to repeat again”, he said.

Meanwhile, the director of the Millennium Nucleus for the Ecology and Conservation of Temperate Mesophotic Reef Ecosystems (NUTME), Dr. Alejandro Pérez-Matus, carried out his first polar expedition, diving in waters as low as -1.5°, and incorporating highly complex equipment in the dives: “We carry out sampling of marine invertebrates and fish, having the possibility of using BRUVs (Baited Remote Underwater Video cameras). This allowed us to observe fish and species for longer than during a scuba dive, which is limited by cold to just a few minutes. In addition, we take underwater photographs to characterize the seabed and associated species. Finally, we managed to extract seawater at the depths visited to carry out environmental DNA filtering in the on-board laboratory”, he pointed out.

Picture of: Millennium I. BASE/ D. Ramírez

During the 15-day expedition that both centers of excellence carried out on board the French ship Le Commandant Charcot, and within the framework of an international collaboration between SEDNA Expeditions and the Instituto Milenio BASE, more than 12 dives were made in the cold Weddell Sea, with long hours of daily work.

Marine invertebrates and fish were collected during the dives for genetic studies, along with high-quality photography and video of Antarctic organisms and unexplored underwater environments. Both centers will share their experiences in Antarctica, through scientific dissemination activities that they will announce jointly at https://institutobase.cl and https://nutme.cl

By: Direction of Communications Millennium Institute BASE

Main picture: A. Pérez-Matus