Earlier this year, Australia’s icebreaker RSV Nuyina completed its first marine science voyage, taking 60 scientists to one of the most unexplored remote parts of our planet.

Unprecedentedly low sea ice allowed the team to approach East Antarctica’s Denman Glacier more closely than ever before. What they found was sobering: warm ocean water flowing beneath the glacier’s ice shelf, hastening its retreat.

Over two months at sea, researchers from a range of disciplines from oceanography, biology, geology, and atmospheric science, worked to uncover how vulnerable this glacier is to warming waters, and how quickly that vulnerability could translate into rising seas.

If the Denman Glacier were to melt entirely, it could raise global sea levels by around 1.5 metres. What does this unfolding drama at the planet’s icy edge tell us about the road ahead? Join this talk to hear from the scientists who went there.

The experts

Professor Delphine Lannuzel is a chemical oceanographer at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, She studies the chemistry of sea ice and how it affects the surrounding ocean environment.
Professor Jan Strugnell is an evolutionary molecular biologist at James Cook University in Townsville, investigating how Antarctic and deep-sea creatures have adapted and evolved over time, especially in response to changes in Earth’s climate and geography.
Dr Leonie Suter is a geneticist and environment DNA analyst with the Australian Antarctic Division in Hobart, who uses DNA found in water samples, from the ocean surface to the seafloor, to identify and monitor the biodiversity of marine life in Antarctica.
Dr Laura Herraiz-Borreguero is a physical oceanographer with CSIRO Environment in Hobart, studying the interaction of the warming ocean with Antarctic ice shelves.

The Denman Marine Voyage was a collaboration between the Australian Antarctic Division, the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, and Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future.

Attend online

Prefer to attend online? Secure your tickets here.

Pre-event refreshments

Head to the venue early and enjoy complimentary refreshments from 5.30pm.

Parking

Free parking is available at the venue.

Subscribe

Find out about future events, and subscribe to our mailing list for Island of Ideas updates.

Find out more

Want to learn more about the University of Tasmania's Island of Ideas public talks series? Catch-up on past events, register for upcoming talks or get in touch with us via our Island of Ideas webpage.