The program, which is part of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation’s Science and Society Division, will fund the “Antarctic Metaverse: A virtual exploration trip to learn about southern biodiversity” project in the category of “Knowledge Dissemination Products.” The Faculty of Communication and Image of the University of Chile (FCEI) and the Biodiversity of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems Millennium Institute (BASE) will work together on regional projects with the cities of Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams.

Knowing the biodiversity of the Antarctic continent and exploring terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems in a friendly and playful language are part of the objectives of the project “Antarctic Metaverse: A Virtual Exploration Trip to Discover Southern Biodiversity,” a project selected by the Science Fund Public from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation in its 2022 call.

During the call for applications, which took place in July and August, 331 projects were sent in, but only 220 were deemed good enough to move on to the next stage. Three outside experts from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation looked at all of these projects and made a list of the 47 best ones. “Antarctic Metaverse: An Exploration Trip to Learn About Southern Biodiversity” was one of the top three projects at the national level in the “Knowledge Dissemination Products” category.

For Dr. Elie Poulin, director of the BASE Millennium Institute, the results reflect the interest of the research center of excellence in bringing Antarctic work closer to people: “We are delighted with the award results, which also reflect an institutional articulation and collaboration with the Magallanes region,” he points out.

The visibility of the work carried out by Antarctic researchers will also be a pillar of the virtual project aimed at students, teachers, and families. “We believe that it is very relevant to show the participation of women in Antarctic science from its most diverse spectrum: in the natural sciences, social sciences, international Antarctic law, biology, oceanography, genetics, scientific diving, and more,” points out Dr. Julieta Orlando, Alternate Director of the BASE Millennium Institute.

The interdisciplinary team that will carry out the project is made up of five professionals with extensive experience in science communication and new platforms: Víctor Fajnzylber, as director of the project and an academic from the Film School of the Faculty of Communication and Image (FCEI ) from the University of Chile, Dr. Tamara Contador as a content manager, academic at the University of Magallanes, and researcher at the Millennium Institute BASE-INVASAL and CHIC, Walter Waymann as Creative Manager, and specialist in 3D design supervision and organic models with extensive experience in immersive proposals, Jaqueline Meriño as General Coordinator, Molecular Biotechnology Engineer, and specialist in research management, innovation and Linkage with the Environment, and Nadia Politis, a journalist specializing in Science and Digital Communication, as Director of Communications from the Millennium Institute BASE.

The “Antarctic Metaverse: a virtual exploration trip to learn about southern biodiversity” is a partnership between the University of Chile, its Faculty of Communication and Image (FECI) and the XR-Labs Laboratory (Nucleus of Virtual Reality, Video Games, and Emerging Technologies). The initiative is supported by the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), the National Youth Institute (INJUV), the Department of Sciences of the Municipality of Cerro Navia, the Cultural Committee of Puerto Williams, the Museum Anthropological Martin Gusinde of Puerto Williams, the Cabo de Hornos International Center for Studies of Global Change and Biocultural Conservation (CHIC), and Fundación Tremendas.

The Biodiversity Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems Millennium Institute (BASE) is a scientific research center of excellence that is funded by the Millennium Scientific Initiative (Millennium) of the National Research and Development Agency (ANID) and seeks to study the past, present, and future of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic biodiversity: the fate of a unique biota, in a changing world.

More information at http://institutobase.cl

By: Constanza Barrientos

Translated by: Catalina Ovando

The description of the new species identified as Subantarctic Rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), was published in the international scientific journal of Nature “Scientific Reports”, an article that presents the result of the research carried out over six years by researchers from the Cape Horn International Center for Studies of Global Change and Biocultural Conservation (CHIC), a baseline project funded by the National Research and Development Agency, ANID, which develops scientific studies with application for conservation in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve.

The team of researchers was led by the director of CHIC, an ecologist and academic from the University of Magallanes (UMAG) and the University of North Texas, Ricardo Rozzi, along with Claudio Quilodrán, Esteban Botero Delgadillo, Constanza Napolitano, Juan Carlos Torres Mura, Omar Barroso, Ramiro Daniel Crego, Camila Bravo, Silvina Ippi, Verónica Quirici, Roy Mackenzie, Cristián Suazo, Juan Rivero de Aguilar, Bernard Goffinet, Bart Kempenaers, Rodrigo Vásquez and Elie Poulin, the latter director of BASE Millennium Institute.

Many of them carried out their work in the area of the Diego Ramírez Islands archipelago, especially on Gonzalo Island, located south of Cape Horn, just over 800 kilometers south of Punta Arenas, sailing through the channels.

The subantarctic rayadito is distinguished from the species of thorn-tailed rayadito (Aphrastrura spinicauda) that inhabits the southern forests of Patagonia such as those distributed on Navarino Island, in Puerto Williams, where they nest in tree cavities. This new species nests on the surface in the middle of the grass and its morphological appearance is more robust with a weight of approximately 16 grams (in comparison to the 12 grams thorn-tailed rayadito ), with a larger bill, a longer tarsus and a shorter tail. Also, they move shorter distances from ground level and fly shorter distances. The habitat that the new species faces is extreme, with gusts of wind that normally exceed 100 kilometers per hour.

The area is of great interest for marine conservation and access for research has been provided by the Chilean Navy, in a research and sovereignty alliance that has been developed for more than 20 years in the area. There the researchers have developed successive campaigns being transported by Navy ships where the institution maintains the lighthouse that is inhabited by naval personnel.

The academic from the University of Magallanes and the University of North Texas, as well as director of  CHIC, Ricardo Rozzi, stressed that “this research has been like an obsession to understand how a bird, which lives in the habitat of forests, which has the habit of life of feeding on the trunks and branches, of nesting in trunk cavities, how does it come to live in this case in a place where there are no trees, no bushes and no woody species, literally in the middle of the ocean a forest bird has managed to survive.”

“The Diego Ramírez Islands are still very little known by Chilean society, and this small endemic bird will be a symbol or emblematic species that will contribute to the knowledge for the country’s culture. We will continue to develop knowledge, appreciation and protection of this archipelago with the scientific leadership of UMAG in a collaborative effort with the Regional Government of Magallanes, the Navy and other public institutions”, said Ricardo Rozzi.

The biologist of the University of Chile and linked to the CHIC, Rodrigo Vásquez, a specialist in birds, says that “now this species has been found, which was described in very basic literature, as belonging to the same Thorn-tailed rayadito, but thanks to a slightly deeper study, we were able to genetically see that it differs in a mutation from the rest of the species of the classic Rayadito, in addition to morphological and behavioral differences”.

There are some individuals with little genetic difference on Cape Horn Island. Its morphological features stand out, such as its larger legs, greater body weight and shorter tail, which does not seem to make it a great flier given the high winds in the Diego Ramírez Islands, where the vegetation is low and the nests are made at ground level as they detected it.

The researcher Constanza Napolitano, an academic from the Department of Biological Sciences and Biodiversity at the University of Los Lagos, in Osorno, recalls that she led part of the genetic analysis, while another part was addressed by Esteban Botero’s group. She highlights the collaborative work carried out between different researchers who contributed to reach these results, and the approach to the scientific question in an integrative way from different angles and complementary methodological approaches.

The University of Magallanes rector, José Maripani, highlighted this work and stated that “this shows the importance for the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, and for our country and the world, that a new species of land bird is identified that inhabits further south of Cape Horn and at the same time how transcendent are the conservation initiatives such as the Diego Ramírez- Drake Passage Marine Park for the conservation of different species and where UMAG has worked on the proposal of the general administration plan of that marine park.

By: Cape Horn International Center, CHIC

Main photography: O. Borroso and R. Mackenzie

The 10th Open Science Conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) will be held until August 10th, and a research team from BASE Millennium Institute will present the results of their research on biodiversity and international polar law.

As an opportunity to exhibit work, research progress, network building and involvement in scientific activities of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research SCAR, the Open Science Conference began its tenth version with India as the host country.

The 10th SCAR Open Science Conference will be held from August 1st to August 10th, 2022 in an online mode, free and open to all. The conference is organized by the National Center for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) of the Government of India.

From Chile, more than a dozen researchers from the Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE) will present the results of their research on biodiversity, conservation and international polar legislation: “In times when climate change reminds us of the importance of promoting with greater strength of Antarctic science for the benefit of society, it is a duty for us to participate in the 10th SCAR Open Science Conference”, said Dr. Elie Poulin, director of BASE Millennium Institute. “Our young researchers will also show their progress in Antarctic research, a unique and enriching opportunity, which demonstrates the fertile and dynamic environment that we are fostering from the Southern Hemisphere and Chile in terms of human capital training in Antarctic issues,” he added.

In line with this year’s online version, the organizers invite you to share images and reflections with the hashtag #SCAR2022 on social networks and follow broadcasts on the SCAR YouTube channel. More information at www.scar2022.org

By: Constanza Barrientos and Nadia Politis

Within the framework of the 14th version of the International Congress on Fish Biology, ICBF (International Congress on the Biology of Fish), Dr. Luis Vargas-Chacoff, Dr. Elie Poulin and doctoral researcher Daniela Nualart, traveled to the city of Montpellier to publish studies on the physiology and evolution of Antarctic fish.

The researchers from BASE Millennium Institute participated in the 14th International Congress on the Biology of Fish in France with their studies on the physiology and evolution of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic fish, Harpagifer antarcticus.  In the event, carried out in the city of Montpellier, from June 28th to July 1st, the relevance of the southern species for the food chain and the study of Climate Change was highlighted.

Dr. Luis Vargas-Chacoff, Researcher at the BASE Millennium Institute, Ideal Center, and academic at the Austral University of Chile, was part of the organizing committee of the congress, through the symposium on Ecology, Biology and Diversity of polar fish, where he presented Preliminary results of the study “Hypoxia and thermal effects on the osmoregulation of Antarctic fish Harpagifer antarcticus”. In addition, he presented researches related to the physiology of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), together with the doctoral researcher from the BASE Millennium Institute and the Austral University of Chile (UACh), Daniela Nualart.

At the same time, the Lead Researcher  and Director of BASE Millennium Institute, Dr. Elie Poulin, participated in the polar fish symposium with the exhibition “Phylogeography, population genetics and adaptation of the Harpagifer (Nototheniidae) throughout the Southern Ocean”: “ I presented a collaborative work carried out by several BASE researchers on the phylogeography of an Antarctic and sub-Antarctic fish from the Southern Ocean, showing how environmental factors participate in the differentiation process of species, beyond the geographic isolation that may exist”, he pointed out.

On the other hand, Vargas-Chacoff expressed that the congress allowed them to show what is being done in Chile, and also to learn about the work of other colleagues. “These meetings also help us to see other points of view, hold meetings and talk to researchers from all over the world, with whom we have common interests”. Daniela Nualart added that it was possible to exchange information with different researchers and experts in fish biology and physiology. And that it was a unique experience where they could share with people who speak the same language of science and who share their experiences and results.

The ICBF is organized by the Physiology Section of the American Fisheries Society, in collaboration with a local organizing committee of fish physiologists from the Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation Center (MARBEC). The biannual international meetings began in 1994 in Canada, and have been established as an event that seeks to bring together the world community of researchers in the field of fish physiology.

By: Constanza Barrientos