A bath mat, dark chocolate, photos and less books than you think. 

Tom Davis-Merry is about to head to Rothera Research Station in Antarctica to be a wintering Field Guide. We take a peek inside his suitcase as he prepares for the adventure ahead.

Ed Luke was a previous wintering Field Guide at Rothera. He joins Tom and Nadia to share his tips for how to pack for life on the ice. He talks practical items, but also the the little luxuries and personal touches that make Antarctica feel like a home.

Produced in partnership with Boffin Media; cover photo by Ed Luke.

So, you're going to Antarctica. But what skills and training do you need to live and work there? That's the question that faces every person who is offered a job with British Antarctic Survey to work South - and there's a long to-do list, including two weeks of Pre-Deployment Training (PDT) at BAS HQ in Cambridge. During PDT, future-Antarcticans learn everything from polar hygiene to chemical safety and firefighting, as well as meeting the people they’ll be living with on station. Think "first day of school" nerves!  

In this episode, host Nadia Frontier meets Michaela Boak, Deployment Support Coordinator. They discuss how to prepare for deployment to Antarctica (including the importance of the ceilidh social), the support available during deployment, and how Michaela’s own experience South shaped her perspective on training the UK's Antarctic team. 

What are the challenges of preparing to work in such an extreme environment? How do the experts plan training that will keep everyone safe? And what training does it take to become an Antarctican? 

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Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world? From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community. 

A podcast from British Antarctic Survey, hosted and recorded by marine biologist Nadia Frontier. Produced in partnership with Boffin Media.

Journey to the top of the world as Iceworld ventures into the Arctic for the first time, exploring the UK's only Arctic research station at Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard. Located at 78° north, this unique international research village brings together ten countries in one of the world's most rapidly changing environments. From retreating glaciers to beluga whales passing by the station dock, Ny-Ålesund offers a front-row seat to climate change in action.

Host Nadia Frontier speaks with Iain Rudkin, Arctic Operations Manager currently stationed in Svalbard, and Henry Burgess, Head of NERC's Arctic Office, calling in from Cambridge. They discuss the dramatic seasonal contrasts from temperate summers to -30°C winters, the challenges of managing a small but impactful research station, and the powerful storytelling opportunities when politicians witness first-hand the open waters where solid ice once stretched across the fjord. 

This episode reveals how Svalbard serves as both a window into our changing planet and a testament to international scientific cooperation at the cutting edge of climate research.

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Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world? From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community. 

A podcast from British Antarctic Survey, hosted and recorded by marine biologist Nadia Frontier. Produced in partnership with Boffin Media.

Dominic Jaques' job is like being a remote-control engineer for one of the most isolated places on Earth! As a computer engineer at Halley VI Research Station on Antarctica's Brunt Ice Shelf, Dom has to be ready to look after the systems and science at Halley when it's staffed in summer, and when the station is empty and automated in Antarctic Winter.

Dom talks to host Nadia Frontier about his six-year Antarctic career, from the technical challenges of keeping an automated research station running 9,000 miles away, to the more unexpected parts of his job - like stepping in as head chef during the Covid season and building his own private igloo that became a legendary invite-only tea spot. From debugging micro-turbine software that fails in extreme cold, to learning how to make bread that actually fits in the toasters, this is a job that demands both serious technical expertise and serious creativity in problem-solving.

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Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world? From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community. 

A podcast from British Antarctic Survey, hosted and recorded by marine biologist Nadia Frontier. Produced in partnership with Boffin Media. Episode cover by

Maciej Piętowski.

As the darkest day approaches in Antarctica, Winterers at three of the UK's research stations are preparing for Midwinter's Day celebrations. From the crafting of elaborate gifts, to now-traditional screenings of The Thing, they compare traditions and plans the teams have in the works.

Joining this cross-Antarctic conference call are Carpenter Eloise Saville at Rothera Research Station, Electrical Technician David Reid at King Edward Point, and Station Leader Charlotte Rayner at Bird Island. From local penguin and seal sightings, to Eloise's new and unexpected passion for the gym, this chat is a memorable insight into life across three different stations at Antarctic Midwinter.

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Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world? From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community. 

A podcast from British Antarctic Survey, hosted and recorded by marine biologist Nadia Frontier. Produced in partnership with Boffin Media.

As the UK's largest Antarctic base, Rothera Research Station, celebrates its 50th birthday, host Nadia Frontier assembles a portrait of Rothera past and present. This episode features four fascinating perspectives on heritage, community and the importance of change.

Alysa Fisher offers an archivist's account of the station's early years - from the wartime beginnings of the UK's Antarctic presence, to the highly popular dogs who used to live at the station, as well as what bits of history can be found embedded into modern station life.

Outgoing Head of the BAS Air Unit, Rod Arnold, talks about how the people and the place have evolved across his 26 years of service; current Tower Supervisor Matt Hughes chats about the aircraft (and whales) he's seen from the new Operations Tower; and Station Leader Aurelia Reichardt talks science operations, leadership, and what it takes to keep a community going in this frozen wilderness.

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Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world? From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community. 

A podcast from British Antarctic Survey, hosted and recorded by marine biologist Nadia Frontier. Produced in partnership with Boffin Media. Cover photo by Matt Hughes.

Meet the ice road truckers of Antarctica: the Tractor Train Traverse team, who drive supplies and fuel huge distances across the frozen wilderness to help scientists work in the deep field. With no garage in sight - and, in fact, nothing much else - this hardy and skilled team have to maintain the vehicles as they travel, living and working together to traverse the Antarctic interior.

Nadia talks to Nick Withey, Traverse Vehicle Engineering Manager, and mechanic and first time traverser Rory Fleet - both recently back in the UK after a busy season in Antarctica. Nick and Rory talk about navigation, safety and scouting, fixing vehicles in the snow, and the weird experience of motion sickness in a whiteout. This long, slow road trip could be the closest experience you can get on Earth to traversing another planet.

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Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world? From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community. 

A podcast from British Antarctic Survey, hosted and recorded by marine biologist Nadia Frontier. Produced in partnership with Boffin Media.

For medics dreaming of an adventure, there's nothing quite like being deployed for a season to Antarctica. The role of doctor on an Antarctic research station or research ship is a huge responsibility - in an emergency, external help could be days or weeks away.

In this episode, Nadia speaks to Dr Nisha Mistry, who is currently working as the doctor on the polar ship RRS Sir David Attenborough, and Dr Rebecca Boys, was one of the doctors at Rothera Research Station in 2022. They talk about what it takes to prepare for deployment, learning to tackle dentistry for the first time, and the unique and trusted role that doctors have looking after communities in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.

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Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world? From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community. 

A podcast from British Antarctic Survey, hosted and recorded by marine biologist Nadia Frontier. Produced in partnership with Boffin Media.

From algae and moss, to mites and bacteria, Antarctica is teaming with life - a lot of it is just really small. Nadia chats to four Dutch researchers from the Gerritz Laboratory at Rothera Research Station, each looking for answers about Antarctica's smallest terrestrial and marine life.

Mareike Bach talks about her fascinating search for sea ice algae, drilling into pancake ice from a cradle suspended from a ship. Dr Swan Sow maps microbial life in the Southern Ocean to understand how climate change impacts nutrient cycles. Dr Stef Bokhorst explores the relationship between Antarctic plants and invertebrates, and Seringe Huisman uses satellite imagery to map mosses and lichens.

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Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world? From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community. 

A podcast from British Antarctic Survey, hosted and recorded by marine biologist Nadia Frontier. Produced in partnership with Boffin Media. Cover photo by Stef Bokhorst.

In this special International Women’s Day episode, host Nadia Frontier takes a look back at some of her most memorable conversations with women at the British Antarctic Survey. This episode celebrates the incredible women pushing boundaries, breaking stereotypes, and shaping the future of science in one of the world’s most extreme environments. 

Professor Dame Jane Francis reflects on her remarkable journey from early fieldwork in Antarctica to becoming the Director of BAS. Geologist Dr Jo Johnson shares her experiences working in some of the most remote and challenging places on Earth, all while balancing the demands of family life. Chef Katy Rumm talks about her adventurous leap from fine dining to cooking in Antarctica’s remote kitchens, turning limited ingredients into incredible meals. Pilot Vicky Auld opens up about her unexpected path to flying the BAS Twin Otters and the power of seizing opportunities when they come your way. Finally, Nadia revisits her conversation with young researchers Laura Taylor and Kat Turner, who are making their mark on the BIOPOLE cruise, helping to advance climate science in the Southern Ocean. 

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Welcome to Antarctica. What's it like living and working in one of the most extreme environments in the world? From polar scientists to plumbers, ICEWORLD is a series of interviews with ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica. The team talk climate science, extreme living, expeditions and becoming a community. 

A podcast from British Antarctic Survey, hosted and recorded by marine biologist Nadia Frontier. Produced in partnership with Boffin Media. Cover photo of Katie Wells by John Dickens.