Partnership in action

The Larsen C ice shelf holds back enough water to cause global sea levels to rise by a centimetre or more. But for how much longer?

The last three years were the hottest since records began. Warming is changing the climate and the environment in ways that we can all see, every day; it is creating an existential crisis for the world, everyone and every living thing in it. So how could finding ways to tackle warming – and its effects – not be a focus for Dare to Do Different, UEA’s boldest-ever fundraising campaign?

UEA’s Polar Initiative is at the forefront of global efforts to uncover the oceans’ deepest secrets. The information is crucial as we work to understand how the natural world is responding to warming. That’s because oceans are one of the Earth’s biggest carbon sinks. We know they absorb and store vast amounts of carbon but not nearly enough about how they do it. So far, oceans have been helping to save humanity from its own mistakes, but we don’t know how long they can keep doing it or what will happen when they stop.

In July 2017, a 5,800km² iceberg (designated A-68) broke off, reducing the total area of the Larsen C ice shelf by more than 12%.

Working on policy…

At policy level, UEA’s research is contributing to literature that informs policy worldwide. Recently, our researchers worked with international colleagues to produce UNESCO’s ‘Integrated Ocean Carbon Research’ report; it will influence global efforts to improve ocean-climate strategies.

…and out in the harshest environments

Their knowledge is being won the hard way. They have been out in the world’s most inaccessible regions doing the ground-breaking work that fills understanding gaps. In 2024 Professor Karen Heywood led the two-month PICCOLO (Processes Influencing Carbon Cycling: Observations of the Lower limb of the Antarctic Overturning) research cruise to the most remote parts of the Southern Ocean, gathering a staggering amount of fresh data around the Larsen C ice shelf. Larsen C holds back enough water to cause sea levels to rise around the world by a centimetre – but for how much longer? The Larsen A and B ice shelves have broken up already, and about 12% of Larsen C broke off nearly a decade ago.

Now, Professor Heywood, donor-funded PhD student Viktoria Nikolaus and a highly specialist team are extracting insights from all that PICCOLO data. What they discover will advance global efforts to avert climate catastrophe and support communities to prepare and adapt to a changing environment. It will take years to glean every bit of learning but discoveries are emerging.

“The Southern Ocean might be a long way away, but it impacts sea level, people’s lives and livelihoods, all over the world.”

Professor Karen Heywood OBE FRS, School of Environmental Sciences

Our research is exploring how the ocean provides heat to melt Antarctic ice shelves, leading to additional sea-level rise. What happens to the meltwater from Antarctica, and what are the ocean impacts? What is the Antarctic Ocean like in winter under the sea ice? What processes enable carbon to get from the atmosphere into the deep ocean?

Now we’re deep into looking at data we collected on the PICCOLO expedition, and Viktoria is a key member of the team. Most recently she’s been studying a dataset collected for a whole year, including underneath the winter sea ice. This dataset brings together physics, chemistry and biology, so she’s been doing a super job bringing these specialisms together. We are intrigued by the different tides her work has revealed. You would think that we’ve understood tides for centuries, but the ocean can still surprise us!

Its temporary closure has been widely felt by people who use the nature trail for wellbeing, as well as those who commute as it provides a vital route linking Eaton and Cringleford to the University, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Earlham Park.

Philanthropic funding is making an enormous difference. Viktoria’s PhD is allowing us to go much further in exploring the PICCOLO data. The work she’s been doing on the impact of the Larsen ice shelf, and the tides, just wouldn’t have taken place without her. That data would be sitting on a computer, but the insights wouldn’t have been gained, and the science wouldn’t have progressed.

New discoveries are emerging:

• Frozen seawater acts like a blanket preventing the ocean from losing any more heat to the air above, and stopping the strong Antarctic winds from mixing the water up.

• Meltwater coming off the Larsen C ice shelf is difficult to monitor, but the available observations show that conditions change over time, helping us understand how the ice shelf is evolving.

• Ocean tides are stronger when there’s less sea ice around. Useful to know, because plankton relies on ocean currents to transport nutrients – the more food there is, the more plankton can grow and support the global ecosystem.

Sir David Attenborough at 100

David Attenborough’s lifelong passion for wildlife, his skill at storytelling and his indefatigable spirit have made him much more than an advocate for the natural world. He is a cultural icon. Here at UEA we add our voice to all those who are celebrating his centenary and his impact on the world.

He has encouraged millions to see the wonder in the world and he has inspired generations of researchers to dedicate their lives to studying the planet, its complex systems and its inhabitants. It’s a fair bet that some of the researchers on board the research vessel ‘Sir David Attenborough’ found their career paths after watching his TV programmes in their early years. Last word to our own Ben Garrod, Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement, who has presented on TV with Sir David:

“Attenborough’s legacy is surely inseparable from the natural environmental challenges we now face. He helped society understand not only how life evolved but, more importantly, why it matters that we protect it now.”

Viktoria Nikolaus

PhD student in The Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences

“I’m working with Professor Heywood to study the Southern Ocean using autonomous underwater vehicles – Seagliders – to understand how this region influences the global climate.

What I find most exciting is the opportunity to use technology to gather data in areas that are not well studied. For years we’ve operated Seagliders (most recently for PICCOLO and the PISCES (Processes drIving Submarine Canyon fluxES) expedition) in places that ships usually can’t reach, piloting them remotely to operate autonomously for months at a time, and send us data each time they surface. They are gathering reliable, long-term information on things like temperature, salinity, oxygen and chlorophyll, and by feeding this data into climate models we are improving climate predictions. I’m looking forward to digging deeper into the data and seeing what new insights emerge. Even small discoveries along the way are exciting and keep the work moving forward.

It will take years to dig into all the data we now have, but early indications are that sea ice may influence how water circulates across the shelf, shaping both tidal motion and background currents. The generous support from The Amar-Franses and Foster-Jenkins Trust has made it possible for me to do this work. It covers my personal and academic costs so I can focus full time on the research. For early-career researchers, having support like this makes a real difference. It allows us to focus on learning, exploring and making discoveries that wouldn’t be possible without it.”

Richard Jenkins, The Amar-Franses & Foster-Jenkins Trust

“We all know what the drivers of global temperature rise are, and what has to be done to arrest the increase. Without continued research we might not be able to detect the incremental changes in the reversal of global temperature rise which started with the Industrial Revolution. We target Trust funding at centres of excellence in both arts and sciences. We decided to fund scholarships for PhD research students, and we are pleased to be able to do so for Viktoria Nikolaus.

By the time you’ve completed your first degree then Master’s, and finally PhD, you most likely have significant debt and are understandably tempted by a career in the commercial sector. Anyone who wishes to pursue an academic career in pure research needs as much support as possible, since without them there will be a diminished advancement in knowledge and understanding.

Viktoria’s PhD research project contributes to modelling the forces driving the melting of the Antarctic ice shelf. We intend her scholarship to help her concentrate fully on her academic research on climate.”