Dr Peter Convey has forged a close relationship with Chile, working actively with national teams in the study of subantarctic biodiversity. Visiting the Molecular Ecology Laboratory (LEM) at the University of Chile, the terrestrial ecologist – with nearly 40 years of experience at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS)– reflects on scientific collaboration, Antarctic biodiversity, and the future of the frozen continent.

A journey that linked the United Kingdom with Puerto Williams, and concluded in Santiago de Chile by projecting new scientific collaborations: this is how terrestrial ecologist Dr Peter Convey summed up his year so far. During his visit to Chile, he described his connection with the country as a “long-standing relationship”. For the BAS scientist, we are facing a crucial moment for research into adaptation, biodiversity, and biogeography – areas in which science plays a fundamental role.

– What aspects define biodiversity?

It is complex to define Biodiversity, and that is something most people are not familiar with. One element of biodiversity is the count of species. Other elements relate to aspects such as their abundance, what population sizes exist and what kinds of traits they have that allow them to survive in their environment. That may not seem like biodiversity.

– And regarding knowledge of Antarctic biodiversity?

Most of the organisms that live in Antarctica are unfamiliar to most people, even the small invertebrates. I could show them in gardens or forests here and most people would not know they exist. Here, you can find very close relatives of the same organisms that live in Antarctica. However, most people have never learnt about them or realised they exist. In addition, there are many truly microbial groups that can only be observed with a microscope.

Dr Convey is a terrestrial ecologist with nearly 40 years of experience in polar ecosystem research, having worked on 15 summer campaigns and one winter in Antarctica, as well as on various Arctic expeditions in Svalbard (Norway). His work at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has made him a reference in the study of biodiversity and the effects of climate change in polar regions.

Science from the end of the world

The senior researcher at the BASE Millennium Institute has established a strong connection with the Chilean scientific community, especially through his collaboration with Dr Tamara Contador, researcher at the BASE Millennium Institute. Their joint work has expanded knowledge about Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems and their response to environmental pressures. This collaboration has been fundamental in strengthening Chile’s role in polar research, promoting participation in international projects and the development of conservation strategies.

 The Honorary Professor at the School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), has also been a key actor in shaping international scientific priorities through the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). He has worked on programmes such as Evolution and Biodiversity in Antarctica and Regional Sensitivity to Climate Change in Antarctica, contributing to the understanding of biological evolution under extreme conditions and the impacts of climate change. His studies have demonstrated the resilience and adaptation capacity of Antarctic biodiversity, providing key data for the conservation of these fragile ecosystems.

Through collaboration with the Wankara Laboratory of Subantarctic and Antarctic Freshwater Ecosystems, the University of Magallanes (UMAG), and the Cape Horn International Centre for Global Change Studies and Biocultural Conservation (CHIC), in addition to the BASE Millennium Institute, the research line led by Dr Tamara Contador (UMAG/CHIC/BASE/INVASAL) has established bridges between science and education through – for example – environmental workshops at the Omora Ethnobotanical Park in the city of Puerto Williams.

At the same time, Convey and Contador have linked their studies on insects as sentinels of global change in the Cape Horn reserve with environmental education, the training of young researchers in the Magallanes region, and the study “Ancient diversification in extreme environments: exploration of the historical biogeography of the Antarctic winged midge Parochlus steinenii”, published in 2023 by Dr Claudia Maturana (BASE/CHIC/APECS Chile) and Dr Elie Poulin, (UChile/BASE), among other national and international co-authors.

The research, highlighted in the article “Discovering the role of insects in climate resilience”, emphasises the importance of Parochlus steinenii as an essential biological indicator for understanding how Antarctic ecosystems respond to climate change. Initially, Dr Contador’s research focused on Parochlus steinenii, an insect that inhabits the South Shetland Islands, but is also found in South Georgia and at the southern tip of South America, in the Cape Horn archipelago. “That immediately led us to become interested in its physiology, how it survives in its environment, its morphology and its biogeography, that is, how long the different populations have been there,” explained Dr Convey.

In his role as a science communicator, the British Antarctic Survey researcher has also played an active role in education and outreach of Antarctic and polar research. His participation as a STEM Ambassador and his teaching work in various universities reinforce the importance of international collaboration in Antarctic science.

– In what way could scientific knowledge be communicated to the public?

I believe one of the most spectacular things about Antarctica is its uniqueness. The environment, the ice, the penguins are so different from everything else we have seen. The biodiversity of Antarctica is unique, especially because many species exist only there. Penguins, for example, although common in other latitudes, only inhabit Antarctica. The conservation of its biodiversity is essential, and a species does not need to be large or colourful to be important. In addition, biodiversity in Antarctica is complex, with different unique regions within the continent. We must protect all that biodiversity, and as a Chilean foreigner, I recognise that it is a unique example of global biodiversity. There are mechanisms to protect it through the Antarctic Treaty, but to do so, we need to know it better. Despite human risks, Antarctica remains largely pristine, and we are still in a position to contribute to its protection.

“Changes in Antarctica have profound consequences for all of us,” notes Dr Peter Convey, also Visiting Professor of Polar Biology at the Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Reflection that arises after referring to the VIII Chilean Congress of Antarctic Research (CCIA) which, together with the XII Latin American Congress of Antarctic Science (CLCA), was held in Valdivia from 28 July to 1 August 2025, as well as the XIV International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES), held from 18 to 22 August 2025 in Punta Arenas, which once again brought Convey to the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic region. Instances that seek to exchange knowledge and promote the exchange of ideas around Antarctic and subantarctic science.

“A new year of relevance for Antarctic science in Chile,” underlines the British polar researcher, referring to 2025 as the “International Year of Glacier Preservation” declared by the UN and accompanied by the proclamation of 21 March each year as World Glacier Day. An opportunity to raise public awareness worldwide about the fundamental role of glaciers, as well as about the economic, social and environmental repercussions of the imminent changes in the Earth’s cryosphere, notes the international body.

 Dr Peter Convey warned about the need to take urgent measures to conserve Antarctica, one of the last pristine environments on the planet. “We are in a position where we can make a great contribution to protecting it,” he affirmed, stressing that “the knowledge we obtain today is crucial to protect these ecosystems in the future.”

He also highlights the importance of international cooperation in polar research, mentioning his work with Chilean institutions such as the BASE Millennium Institute and the University of Magallanes. In this regard, he calls for strengthening research with more resources and global commitment: “We still have time to do things right. Antarctica is one of the last pristine spaces on the planet and we have the responsibility to protect it for future generations,” concluded the Antarctic-subantarctic researcher.

By Benjamín Groff and Nadia Politis
Edited by Constanza Barrientos
Photographs: Tamara Contador, Constanza Barrientos and Nadia Politis / BASE Millennium Institute

References:

Chown, S.L. et al. (2022). Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment: A Decadal Synopsis and Recommendations for Action. SCAR, Cambridge.

Cannone, N. et al. (2022). Acceleration of climate warming and vascular plant expansion in maritime Antarctica. Current Biology, 32, 1-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.074.

Bokhorst, S. et al. (2022). Temperature impact on the influence of penguin-derived nutrients and mosses on non-native grass in a simulated polar ecosystem. Global Change Biology, 28, 816–828. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15979.