Antarctica InSync: internationally coordinated, circumpolar, and year-round research in the Southern Ocean

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean play a crucial role in the Earth’s climate system and for all life on our planet, and are rapidly changing due to human activities. International research in this part of the world is particularly challenged by remoteness and extreme climate conditions, resulting in still existing knowledge gaps regarding how compartments are interconnected, how they are impacted and changing, what are the consequences, and what is needed to protect and sustainably manage this unique and globally important system. To address these gaps in our knowledge and understanding and facilitate a comprehensive assessment of the interconnections between ice, ocean, climate, environment, and life, the observed and projected impacts as well as potential solution options, the "International Science & Infrastructure for Synchronous Observation" (Antarctica InSync) initiative has been initiated in 2023. The Antarctica InSync mission is an UNESCO endorsed Ocean Decade programme for coordinated, synchronous international collaborative scientific observations in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, to generate year-round and circumpolar data, methods and knowledge to better understand, protect and sustainably manage these regions. Antarctica InSync will provide a framework for international collaboration to implement a number of actions addressing key UN Decade challenges. The programme focusses on five overarching themes:

• Southern Ocean heat, freshwater, and carbon budgets
• Sea ice decline and its interdisciplinary consequences
• Melting ice shelves and coastal impacts
• Anthropogenic signatures in Antarctica
• Improving knowledge and protection of life from land and ice into the deep sea

Currently, Antarctica InSync is in the preparatory phase and building national and international partnerships and steering committees to develop coordinated research plans. The field phase with synchronous scientific observations will start in 2027.

The presentation will give further insight on the vision behind this mission, provide details on the mission and the opportunities it provides, planned activities and cooperations, and how to contribute and become part of this international programme.