Researchers from the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) have participated in five of the seven scientific documents that make up the Antarctica InSync Science Plan, that will guide research on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean between 2027 and 2030.
The Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) has played a prominent role in drafting the Antarctica InSync Science Plan, the international roadmap that will set global scientific priorities for the white continent in the coming years. The center's research staff participated in five of the seven key white papers to understand how the Antarctic system responds to climate change and to improve projections of its future evolution.
The ICM-CSIC's contribution encompasses fundamental disciplines for polar science. In the field of physical and biogeochemical cycles of the Southern Ocean, Estrella Olmedo and Roger Urgeles contributed to defining priorities for understanding the role of this ocean in regulating global climate and the carbon cycle. For her part, Carolina Gabarró participated in the document focused on the decline of Antarctic sea ice and its effects on climate. Researcher Blanca Figuerola contributed her expertise both to the study of biodiversity and the functioning of Antarctic ecosystems and to the assessment of human activity impacts in the region. Finally, Rafel Simó integrated the atmospheric perspective into the work dedicated to interactions between aerosols, clouds, and precipitation.
An integrated view of the Antarctic system
The Antarctica InSync Science Plan proposes, for the first time, a synchronized, circumpolar, year-round observation strategy to jointly study the Antarctic atmosphere, ocean, ice, and ecosystems. The main objective is to obtain an integrated view of how the polar system functions, reduce uncertainties in climate models, and improve the ability to anticipate changes with global impact, such as sea-level rise, alteration of ocean circulation, or loss of biodiversity.
To achieve this, the program plans to coordinate international campaigns between 2027 and 2029 through a network of research vessels, scientific stations, satellites, and autonomous platforms, followed by a result synthesis phase planned for 2030. The published documents will serve as a basis for these operations and constitute one of the main preparatory milestones for the upcoming International Polar Year (2032-2033).
The Polar CSIC connection
The overall contribution of the Spanish National Research Council through the PolarCSIC platform covered six of the seven themes of the international plan, featuring participation from staff at the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), the Oceanographic Center of the Canary Islands (IEO-CSIC), the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), and the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN-CSIC).
María Gema Llorens and Ricardo León, coordinators of PolarCSIC, emphasize that the presence in Antarctica InSync reflects the maturity and international recognition achieved by Spanish polar science. Participating in setting these priorities represents a unique opportunity to contribute to resolving major uncertainties regarding the future of Antarctica and its global-scale effects. The PolarCSIC Network brings together research staff from 21 centers of the institution with active projects in the Arctic and Antarctic, acting as a coordination hub to promote multidisciplinary collaboration in oceanography, biology, geology, glaciology, and atmospheric sciences.