Antarctic research at a time of crisis: The impact of COVID-19 on the Antarctic research community

This presentation will share the results of a survey that aimed at understandingthe impact of COVID-19 on the Antarctic research community. Primarilydesigned to identify the most adversely affected Antarctic researchers andgauge what kind of assistance they might need, the survey, which forms partof an interdisciplinary international research programme on the impact of COVID-19 for the Antarctic community more broadly, also examined the longtermimplications of COVID-19 for National Antarctic Programmes.Over 300 Antarctic research community members, most of them academics,participated in the survey. Preliminary results show that the careers of earlycareerresearchers and those heavily reliant on fieldwork are most adverselyaffected by COVID-19. As expected, relief funds and free access to data,especially for those whose field campaigns were cancelled, would moderatethe impact the pandemic has had on researchers to a certain extent. The survey also reveals that COVID-19 resulted in significant adverse impacts onmental health for Antarctic researchers, with the majority of survey participants noting extreme or moderate dissatisfaction with their mental health and significant increases in anxiety and stress levels, all of which needs to be considered when designing strategies for addressing the impact of COVID-19 in the Antarctic community.

Fil: Ligget, Daniela. University of Canterbury; Nueva Zelanda

Fil: Herbert, Andrea. University of Canterbury; Nueva Zelanda

Fil: Badhe, Renuka. European Polar Board; Países Bajos

Fil: Hudson, Katelyn. Bond University; Australia

Fil: Kelman, Ilan. University College London; Estados Unidos

Fil: Sang Lee, Won. Korea Polar Research Institute; Corea del Sur

Fil: Lorenzo, Cristian A.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; Argentina

Fil: Marques Quinteiro, Pedro. Instituto Universitário; Portugal

Fil: Nash, Meredith. University of Tasmania; Australia

Fil: Navarro, Diego. Korea Polar Research Institute; Corea del Sur

Fil: Nieboer, Miranda. University of Tasmania; Australia

Fil: Pickett, Jennifer. Vrije Unviversiteit Brussel; Bélgica

Fil: Estenssoro Saavedra, Fernando. Universidad de Santiago de Chile; Chile

Fil: Yermakova, Yelena. University of Oslo; Noruega

New Zealand Antarctic Science Conference

Nueva Zelanda

University of Canterbury

Antarctic Research Centre

The University of Waikato

International Centre for Terrestrial Antartic Research

Bodeker Scientfic

Victoria University of Wellington