Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, are used in scientific research and a diverse range of other applications across the globe. They are also being used increasingly for scientific research in Antarctica and to a lesser extent by tourists visiting the world's last great frontier tourist destination. Their use in scientific research in Antarctica offers many benefits to science and if used responsibly may be less invasive than other research techniques, offering a rich source of new scientific data. For tourists, UAVs also offer unique aerial photographic perspectives on Antarctica — the ultimate holiday snap shot. Concerns have been raised about the safety of drone use in the harsh and unpredictable Antarctic conditions, as well as possible environmental impacts. This paper considers these issues and the emerging regulatory response to drone use in Antarctica focusing on the Antarctic Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Operator's Handbook, which provides guidelines to national Antarctic programmes on the use of UAVs in the Antarctic Treaty area, and the temporary ban on use of drones by tourists imposed by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Both measures arguably constitute a good first response to this emerging issue, although more still needs to be done.

This paper describes the first Polish expedition to Greenland in 1937. The fieldwork was carried out in western Greenland at the eastern edge of Arfersiorfik Fjord between Disko Bay in the north and Nordre Strömfjord in the south. The main goal was to undertake a comprehensive study of a fragment of the Greenland ice sheet edge and its foreland focusing on a cartographic survey. The first ever map of this region entitled The Polish expedition to give new names. In the post-war history, expedition members exerted great influence on the development of Polish polar research.

The early explorer and scientist Otto Nordenskjöld, leader of the Swedish South Polar Expedition of 1901–1903, was the first to collect Antarctic penguin fossils. The site is situated in the northeastern region of Seymour Island and constitutes one of the most important localities in the study of fossilised penguins. The task of describing these specimens together with fossilised whale remains was given to Professor Carl Wiman (1867–1944) at Uppsala University, Sweden. Although the paradigm for the systematic study of penguins has changed considerably over recent years, Wiman's contributions are still remarkable. His establishment of grouping by size as a basis for classification was a novel approach that allowed them to deal with an unexpectedly high morphological diversity and limited knowledge of penguin skeletal anatomy. In the past, it was useful to provide a basic framework for the group that today could be used as ‘taxon free’ categories. First, it was important to define new species, and then to establish a classification based on size and robustness. This laid the foundation for the first attempts to use morphometric parameters for the classification of isolated penguin bones. The Nordenskjöld materials constitute an invaluable collection for comparative purposes, and every year researchers from different countries visit this collection.

In 2016, we marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Protocol on the Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, or the Madrid Protocol. The Protocol signalled a commitment to address issues of climate change and the protection of the Antarctic resources. Russia exerted appropriate efforts pursuant to scientific research programmes, tourism and all other governmental and non-governmental activities. In the light of the commemoration of the anniversary, this paper highlights major steps of the Russian Federation toward the implementation of the international agreement and application of scientific principles for environmental protection and management in Antarctica.

New Zealand's Antarctic research began during the 1957/1958 International Geophysical Year. This analysis explains how and why it has evolved. There have been two phases: 1957 until 1991, when the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the universities were the key research organisations, and after 1991, when the publicly funded research sector became more diverse. International collaborations have been important throughout. Funding decision processes have progressed from a bottom-up curiosity-driven approach to a more complex system of regular contests. Since 1991, the focus has been on coherent strategies and the outcomes sought. Funding criteria are well-defined and contests are widely accepted as fair and transparent. Reviews and evaluations have been positive. Collaborative organisational interactions dominated decision-making during the early period. Bureaucratic politics is most evident in post-1991 organisational changes. The quality of the research strategies has improved in terms of defining outcomes sought and appropriate measures of progress towards them. However, New Zealand's Antarctic research funding is currently dispersed. It needs better coordination. Collaborative research should be emphasised in areas where New Zealand has established a strong reputation taking account of both national and global priorities if New Zealand's international research standing is to be maintained and enhanced.

Captain William Adams (1837–1890) was one of the exceptional whaling masters who sailed from Dundee in Scotland. This paper uses primary sources to confirm his reputation not only as a whaler but also as an adventurous explorer and wealthy businessman. He became outstandingly successful with Alexander Stephen & Sons, the Dundee shipping company that pioneered the use of auxiliary powered vessels for use in sealing in Labrador and fishing for whales in the Davis Strait and beyond. His first command was the Arctic in 1868, and his reputation was such that he was chosen by Albert Hastings Markham as his mentor in gaining experience for polar exploration. The unfortunate loss of the Arctic in Regent Sound in 1875 did no damage to this reputation and Adams was made Master of the newly built flagship of the company's fleet, the Arctic II. In 1883, by then a rich man, Adams became his own Master with the purchase of the Maud. In 1890, the vessel was returning to Dundee from Arctic waters when Captain Adams, who was accompanied by his son also William Adams (1869–1942) acting as Mate, was taken fatally ill, dying at Thurso in Caithness.

In August 2016, the author was able to personally examine the five Beechey Island Franklin era gravesite headboards, in the collections of the Government of Nunavut and currently preserved at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Center in Yellowknife, NT, Canada. Except for the inscriptions, there appears to be relatively little physical description actually published in the literature, and this article summarises those observations and some conclusions drawn from this examination.

This paper discusses the authentication of a metal sledge shoe fragment, believed by the owner to have been collected by Edward Wilson close to the South Pole on 18 January 1912. Microscopic and elemental analysis show that the object is made from ‘German silver’, a copper alloy used only on Norwegian Nansen-style sledges in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and that it was used to clad a tapering sledge runner end about 10 mm thick. By comparing related objects, including sledges used by Amundsen and Scott in their South Pole journeys and a sledge from the Discovery Expedition, we show that the object cannot have come from an English sledge, but would have fitted one of Amundsen's modified sledges. Written sources have been extensively searched, but no direct written provenance for the object exists. However, contemporary Norwegian and British accounts explain specific features of the object and exclude other possible provenances. We conclude that it is most likely that the proposed provenance and history attached to this artefact are correct.

This paper discusses the motives underlying two approaches to the development of the Russian Arctic in the late nineteenth century. The first, the brainchild of the British merchant seaman Joseph Wiggins (1832–1905), derived principally from private commercial instincts. The second, the work of Sergei Witte (1849–1915), Russia's Minister of Finance, and the innovative Russian Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov (1848–1904), had much less to do with trade and much more to do with projecting Russian national ambitions. The first required no great technological insight, but the second required the construction of the greatest of nineteenth century icebreakers. Although both approaches, the commercial and the political, the ‘low tech’ and the ‘high tech’, failed in the short term, both made a mark on subsequent developments. The paper concludes that although, at the time of their conception, political and diplomatic considerations made it unlikely that commercial and political approaches to the development of the Russian Arctic could be harmonised, the time for dovetailing them may be getting nearer.

The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) has provided a peaceful framework for governing the continent over many decades, in spite of seven extant territorial claims. However, its method of freezing these claims has been criticised for being short-sighted and ineffective in providing a long-term solution. This paper argues to the contrary. It undertakes a brisk analysis of different categories of alternatives: global commons, absolute sovereignty, restricted sovereignty and shared sovereignty. After dismissing each category for various reasons, it promotes the reform of the existing ATS, in which a long-term vision and modified chairmanship structure provide stronger leadership and more effective implementation. Essentially, it holds that the primary reason there is criticism of the system is because it is not functioning as well as it might be. The paper not only contends that a developed ATS is an achievable aim, but that it could eventually develop into a restricted, shared sovereignty governance framework. That form of governance, which would emerge over time, could be a more durable solution that resolves the competing territorial claims. In this way, the paper charts a potential pathway for the future of Antarctic governance. This path begins, however, with a reformed ATS.