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  • High-resolution simulations of extreme warm temperature events over South Georgia Islands using the UK Met Office Unified Model (MetUM) were conducted at the British Antarctic Survey. The simulations are conducted for the period 1 to 17 January 1991, which included an event in which the temperature at Signy station peaked at 17.4 degrees Celsius on 13 January 1991, as well as a series of consecutive warm events preceding this. The dataset consists of 1) 10 m zonal wind, 10 m meridional wind, 1.5 m temperature, 1.5 m dew point temperature, 1.5 m relative humidity, and mean sea level pressure at a temporal resolution of every 1 hr for the period 1 to 17 January, 2) zonal wind, meridional wind, vertical wind, and potential temperature on model levels at 00UTC 13 January, and 3) rainfall rate at 00 UTC 13 January (averaged over a 3-hr period). The MetUM is run over a domain that includes South Orkney Islands and the surrounding ocean, which comprises 120 x 120 grid points at a grid spacing of 1 km. The model output is used to investigate the detailed influence of South Orkney Islands orography on temperature, precipitation, and winds, and in particular the importance of foehn events in producing extreme warm temperatures at Signy station. Funding: 1) Core funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to the Atmosphere, Ice and Climate Programme of British Antarctic Survey (BAS). 2) NERC National Capability International grant SURface FluxEs In AnTarctica (NE/X009319/1). 3) European Union''s Horizon 2020 research and innovation framework programme under Grant agreement no. 101003590 (PolarRES).

  • This dataset contains gridded spatial predictions of the distribution and density of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in the South Scotia Sea, specifically within Subarea 48.2 of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Both year-specific and decadal mean predictions are provided across years 2011-2020. All predictions were generated from a two-part hurdle model which used input data from (i) a spatially and temporally consistent acoustic krill survey around the South Orkney Islands and (ii) year-specific environmental covariates. The first hurdle model component was a binomial Generalized Additive Model (GAM) fitted to binary presence-absence krill data which predicts the probability of krill presence. The second component was a Gaussian GAM fitted to non-zero krill data which predicts krill density. Finally, these components were combined to identify where krill were both likely to be present and occur at high densities. Full model details are given in the associated publication. This dataset provides the spatial predictions generated from the binomial GAM, Gaussian GAM, and their combined product. Funding: PNT, SF and JJF were supported by the British Antarctic Survey''s National Capability Antarctic Logistics and Infrastructure programme CONSEC, supported by the Natural Environment Research Council, a part of UK Research and Innovation.; VW-E and JJF were supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts under grant PA00034295. The South Orkney Islands acoustic trawl survey is part of the ongoing Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) project KRILL (p.no. 14246), which is supported by the Norwegian Research Council (NFR grant 222798), the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and IMR.

  • Beached marine debris has been monitored on Signy Island since 1991. Data collection was carried out during summer months across three sites on the island: Foca Cove, Cummings Cove and Starfish Cove. This dataset summarises the amount of beached debris from monthly surveys by mass and type, with additional descriptions available. This monitoring contributes to the CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) Marine debris program and is part of the long-term monitoring carried out by the British Antarctic Survey at Signy Island. Ecosystems component of BAS Polar Science for Planet Earth Programme, funded by NERC.

  • Topographic contours of Signy Island with 10 m intervals, derived from a digital elevation model originally created using stereoscopic photogrammetry from VHR (very high resolution) In-Track stereo satellite imagery collected during March 2015. The topographic contours were created to support the updated release of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Signy Island map (BAS, 2024). The dataset is available as a polyline shapefile and a GeoPackage. WorldView-3 satellite images (c) 2015 Maxar Technologies.

  • This dataset contains the imagery from a time-lapse camera installed at a South Georgia shag, Leucocarbo georgianus, colony at Signy Island. The camera imagery are used to monitor nest attendance of South Georgia shags at Signy. These cameras passively record colony attendance by taking automatic images each day, at a minimum of twice daily throughout each year. This dataset includes imagery for the years 2022-2022. This dataset is part of a larger network of time-lapse cameras monitoring seabirds on Signy Island. This monitoring contributes to the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) and is part of the annual seabird Long Term Monitoring Science carried out by the British Antarctic Survey at Signy Island. This work was funded by Natural Environment Research Council (UK) core funding to the British Antarctic Survey.

  • Spot heights of Signy Island, derived using stereoscopic photogrammetry from VHR (very high resolution) In-Track stereo satellite imagery collected during March 2015. The spot heights were created to support the updated release of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Signy Island map (BAS, 2024) and represent a series of points containing x, y and z values of high points and peaks. The dataset is available as a 3D point shapefile and a GeoPackage. WorldView-3 satellite images (c) 2015 Maxar Technologies.

  • Land cover of Signy Island, consisting of rock outcrop, moraine, lakes, permanent ice and streams. All data were manually digitised from a VHR (very high resolution) satellite image acquired on the 10th February 2020. WorldView-2 satellite image (c) 2020 Maxar Technologies. The datasets are available as polygon and point shapefiles and GeoPackages. The data were created to support the updated release of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Signy Island map (BAS, 2024)

  • This dataset contains reflectance spectra measurements of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) that were sampled from the Scotia Sea in the Southern Ocean. Reflectance measurements were made on board on freshly caught krill, using a spectroradiometer. A number of these reflectance experiments were carried out across different regions of the Scotia Sea, on male, female and juvenile krill. Reflectance measurements are given for krill in both in situ and filtered seawater, as well as for water without krill. Data are presented in terms of remote sensing reflectance (Rrs). Funding for the work was primarily through a bursary awarded to Anna Belcher from Antarctic Science Ltd. Additionally, funding from the BAS ecosystems programme supported the project. The Natural Environment Research Council Field Spectroscopy Facility (NERC FSF) loaned the equipment required to carry out this research.

  • This dataset contains the imagery for two time-lapse cameras installed at two chinstrap penguin colonies, Pygoscelid antarcticus, around Signy Island. The camera imagery are used to monitor nest attendance of chinstrap penguins at Signy. These cameras passively record colony attendance by taking automatic images each day, throughout each year. This dataset includes imagery for the years 2015-2022. This dataset is part of a larger network of time-lapse cameras monitoring seabirds on Signy Island. This monitoring contributes to the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) and is part of the annual seabird Long Term Monitoring Science carried out by the British Antarctic Survey at Signy Island. This work was funded by Natural Environment Research Council (UK) core funding to the British Antarctic Survey.

  • This dataset contains the imagery for two time-lapse cameras installed at two Adelie penguin colonies, Pygoscelid adeliae, around Signy Island. The camera imagery are used to monitor nest attendance of Adelie penguins at Signy. These cameras passively record colony attendance by taking automatic images each day, at a minimum of twice daily throughout each year. This dataset includes imagery for the years 2011-2022. This dataset is part of a larger network of time-lapse cameras monitoring seabirds on Signy Island. This monitoring contributes to the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) and is part of the annual seabird Long Term Monitoring Science carried out by the British Antarctic Survey at Signy Island. This work was funded by Natural Environment Research Council (UK) core funding to the British Antarctic Survey.