UK Polar Network

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UK Polar Network

The UK Polar Network organises skill development workshops, networking days and mentor panels for early career polar research scientists.

The UK Polar Network was established in April 2007 as part of the 2007 – 2009 International Polar Year (IPY). We are the UK branch of the Association of Early Career Scientists (APECS) and currently have over 500 members, from aspiring undergraduates to Masters and PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and recent faculty appointees. As a voluntary group we organise career development events for

early career scientists in addition to running education and outreach activities to enthuse and inspire young people about the polar regions.

30/07/2026

Join the UK Polar Network Committee ‼️

Want to help shape the future of the UK Polar Network? We’re looking for enthusiastic early career individuals to join our 2026/27 Committee.

We’re currently searching for individuals to fill the positions of:
❄️ Secretary
❄️ Treasurer
❄️ EDI Officer
❄️ Festivals Officer
❄️ Social Media Officer (x3)
❄️ Marketing Officer
❄️ Training Officer
❄️ International Collaboration Officer

Develop new skills, expand your network, and help deliver exciting opportunities for the UK’s polar community.

📝 Apply by 18 August 2026 via the link in our bio (or visit our website).

Questions? 📧 [email protected]

22/07/2026

Complete the ECAMMS Survey - Early Career Antarctic Marine Mammal and Seabird Researchers

Are you an Early Career Researcher (ECR)?
If your work involves marine mammals or seabirds in Antarctic or sub-Antarctic regions, we want to hear from you through this survey!

🎯 What is the goal?
Map expertise: Identify the ECR community working with marine mammals and seabirds and highlight the skills you have developed through your research.
Strengthen networks: Create a direct communication channel with the SCAR Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals (EG-BAMM).
Generate opportunities: Build a platform connecting senior researchers with ECRs for international collaborative projects.

📊 What will happen with the results?
The results will be formally presented during the SCAR Conference in Oslo at the EG-BAMM meeting (Saturday, August 8, 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Central Park B Room) and submitted for publication in a scientific journal.

What you need to know:
Estimated time: The survey will take only a couple of minutes to complete.
Confidentiality: Responses will be processed anonymously.
ECAMMS Network: At the end of the survey (Section 5), you may voluntarily provide your name and email address if you would like to join our official mailing list.
Eligibility: This survey is exclusively for researchers working with marine mammals or seabirds in Antarctic or sub-Antarctic regions.

📅 DEADLINE: MONDAY, AUGUST 3!

15/07/2026

Help shape outreach and science communication training for polar ECRs!

This survey is for all polar ECRs, including those who do not currently take part in outreach.

Available in English, Spanish, and French

EN: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/adkCB2Eu9X

ES: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/pcTZDC47MC

FR: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/z08NjsDLUd

For further details, please contact us- [email protected]

13/07/2026

This is Tina Rai, a PhD student and microbial ecologist at Aberystwyth University, where her research focuses on cryoconites. Tina has also been an amazing volunteer for the UK Polar Network!

Tina studies microbes, mainly bacteria, in cryoconite (dark sediment found on the surface of glaciers and ice sheets) which absorbs solar radiation and forms cylindrical holes filled with water and cryoconite at the bottom. Her sampling site is Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, and she collected cryoconite samples from four different glaciers (Vestre Brøggerbreen, Midtre Lovénbreen, Austre Brøggerbreen and Vestre Lovénbreen) in August 2023. She is looking at temporal and spatial differences in bacterial communities on these glaciers as well as the bacterial communities in cryoconite granules of different sizes and the metagenomics of the larger cryoconite granule.

Image 2: Cryoconite hole
Image 3: Arctic Fox
Image 4: Vestre Broøggerbreen

Tina Rai’s work is also featured in Tales from the Poles. To read more, follow this link- https://polarnetwork.org/education-and-outreach/tales-from-the-poles/

10/07/2026

We also had the chance to talk all about microorganisms at Glasgow Science Festival 2026!

A big thank you to the amazing Naomi, a University of Glasgow microbiology student, for sharing her knowledge and passion with everyone.

09/07/2026

🌍 We Want to Share Your Polar Research! ❄️

Are you involved in polar research? We’d love to showcase the incredible work being carried out!

Whether you’re conducting fieldwork in remote polar environments, analysing samples in the lab, or working behind the desk, we want to hear your story.

To be featured, send us:
📸 A few of your favourite photos (from fieldwork, the lab,team shots)
👤 Your name and a picture of yourself
🏛️ Your university or institution
🔬 Research topic
📝 A short introduction to your research

This is a great opportunity to share your work, inspire others, and highlight the exciting research taking place across our community.

Email or message us your submission, and we’ll feature your work on our instagram. We can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to!

Email - [email protected]

07/07/2026

📢 The 5th edition of the APECS Polar Book Club is here!

📖 This autumn, UKPN, APECS Sweden and APECS Netherlands invite you to read Bitter Passage by Colin Mills and join us for an engaging discussion about Arctic exploration, colonial encounters, survival and the stories we tell about the North.

Set during the search for Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition, Bitter Passage follows Lieutenant Frederick Robinson as he joins a rescue voyage into the Canadian Arctic. Combining historical fiction with psychological suspense, the novel explores themes of imperial ambition, isolation, Indigenous knowledge and the challenges of navigating unfamiliar Arctic environments.

Whether you are interested in polar history, Arctic cultures, exploration narratives or simply enjoy a good book, we would love for you to join the conversation!
🕑 Date & Time: 18 November 2026, 16:15–18:15 CET
📍 Online via Zoom (Zoom link will be shared closer to the event)

The Polar Book Club is open to all APECS members and early-career researchers worldwide. We warmly welcome participants from all disciplines and countries.
📝 Registration: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/g0t4t51Ue4

❓ Questions? Feel free to get in touch with Lena Leimgruber Haraldsson, APECS Sweden ([email protected])

We look forward to reading and discussing Bitter Passage with you! ❄️⚓📚

18/06/2026

Polar fish or invertebrates? 🐟🪼

Learn more about the fascinating adaptions of polar fish and invertebrates as our volunteers share some really cool facts! Glasgow Science Festival

12/06/2026

At Glasgow Science Festival Glasgow Science Festival we also spoke about the implications microplastics have on the Polar regions!

In recent years, substantial amounts of plastics have been introduced into the environment, and as a result have entered marine ecosystems.

Microplastics which are defined as tiny plastic particles less than 5mm have now become a global concern.

Consequently, microplastics have been documented in vast and remote areas like the Southern Ocean / Antarctica.

Despite Antarctica being a remote and pristine environment. Antarctica is not immune to anthropogenic environmental provisions like microplastics, and have been documented in multiple environmental zones, including ice, deep - sea sediments, surface waters, snow and biota. Due to their positive buoyancy and their small size, microplastics are potentially more available for ingestion by tiny organisms such as zooplankton, further posing significant threats to polar ecosystems.

10/06/2026

Polar bear or Emperor penguin? 🐻‍❄️🐧

Our volunteers share some fascinating facts about how these incredible animals survive in extreme polar environments.

Watch the videos and let us know which polar animal you prefer!

Address

National Maritime Museum, Park Row, Greenwich
London
SE10 9NF

Website

http://www.polarnetwork.org/

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