Counting the cost of Antarctic research: the British Antarctic Survey merger
- 02 Oct 2012, 15:05
- Freya Roberts
News that Britain's Antarctic research unit will be merged with
another scientific body has sparked accusations in the media that
budget cuts are harming the quality of the UK's polar research. But
some have claimed the merger could make sense. We explore the
balance the UK must strike between cutting costs and maintaining a
scientific and political presence in Antarctica.
Facing cuts to its funding, the Natural Environment Research
Council (NERC) has announced
plans to merge two of its research bodies. The British Antarctic
Survey (BAS), currently based in Cambridge, looks set to join
forces with the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton -
which NERC says will integrate two areas of closely related
science.
Consultation period
In a
consultation document released in September, NERC laid out its
vision to create a centre of polar and ocean science. It plans to
bring together the two research bodies, pooling services like HR as
well as expensive resources like buildings and research
ships.
Scientists we spoke to suggested this is perhaps an obvious place
to make cuts. For example,
BAS and NOC currently run
individual shipping lines, each with two vessels - both huge
operations that cost money and require a lot of manpower.
As the rising cost of marine gas oil places a heavy burden on
resources, NERC says it has to consider ways to save money - and
running a single fleet is one of them. It is also considering
increasing the extent to which it shares vessels with other
research organisations.
NERC says it hopes the move will mean it can preserve funds for
doing science despite facing budget cuts. Additionally, both of the
organisations' UK research bases are likely to stay operational -
with polar science remaining largely at Cambridge, and oceanography
staying put in Southampton.
Fears for polar research
But media coverage of NERC's plans has been critical, reflecting
researchers' worries that the merger will hamper their ability to
study the Antarctic.
According to an
Observer article this weekend, British Antarctic Survey
scientists expressed concerns that the cost-cutting move will
compromise their ability to carry out climate research. Campaigner
Tony Juniper also
voiced fears that cuts to polar research could hamper our
understanding of global change. Responding to the proposed merger,
he has launched an
online petition to "end plans to do away with the British
Antarctic Survey".
Some scientists aren't just worried about whether the merger might
constrain scientific research - they say there are wider political
considerations to take into account, too. Scientists have remarked
that the research BAS does in the Antarctic also helps position the
UK as a leader in the region, so any threat to that output could
make it harder for the UK to shape policy there. John Dudney, BAS's
former deputy director, goes as far as to
say:
"...the imperative for British presence
in Antarctica at the current scale is political and territorial,
and not scientific even though the science is of first
quality."
NERC speaks out
Until today, NERC has not released any formal comments to the
media - other than the September consultation document - even
though it announced
plans to join the two bodies in June.
NERC has released a
media statement today, however, in which it argues that it has
no intention of closing BAS. It says:
"Far from seeking to damage UK polar
research, NERC has demonstrated its commitment to sustaining polar
activity in spite of [...] financial constraints [...]. There are
no plans to close BAS or to close the BAS offices in
Cambridge."
NERC added it has ring-fenced funding for polar research. For
the next few years, BAS will recieve at least the same level of
funding. This doesn't mean BAS will emerge unscathed, however.
Though its budget has been frozen in level terms, this translates
to a reduction in real terms. As a result, NERC says job cuts are
likely, although not due directly to the merger.
As to the UK's political presence in Antarctica, NERC says this
funding freeze demonstrates its commitment to continue its current
level of activity in Antarctica.
It says:
"[The funding freeze] will support the
continued UK leadership and participation in the Antarctic Treaty
system. The proposal to merge BAS and NOC does not change
this commitment and there is no suggestion that Antarctic bases
will be reduced or closed as a consequence of the merger."
Wait and see
The consultation is set to close on the 10th October, and we
won't know for a while which areas of BAS's operations will fall
foul of the funding cut. It's also not clear what the plans mean
for the NOC, which has received little attention despite also
producing first-class research.
The debate about the status of BAS also highlights that the UK is
in uncharted territory, dealing with a much weaker economy just as
it finds itself navigating new environmental and political
challenges in key areas like the Antarctic.