Matthias Alexander Castrén (1813–1852), a great Finnish researcher and fieldworker, the first professor of the Finnish language, undertook a vast range of studies, geographically from Norwegian Lapland to Siberia and in subjects from linguistics to ethnology. His extensive work in the Russian north made him one of the principal figures of Siberian and Finno-Ugrian studies. Castrén's pioneering contributions in Turkology, Mongolian studies and archaeology are also noteworthy. He spent almost ten years on expeditions outside Finland and during his short life, he died at the age of 39, he managed to collect a vast amount of material, which is set out in 32 volumes of his manuscripts. However, his name is less known than are the names of some of his prominent friends. In English there are only few comments on his travels and work and these are in the context of the history of Finnish science in the 19th century. Published materials of Castrén's work include two volumes in Finnish translated from Swedish, six volumes in Swedish, and twelve volumes in German. Castrén was born in a period which is often regarded as a turning point in Finnish history and as a key period in the formation of the Finnish nation. Presenting an overview of different fields of Castrén's research, this article analyses his scientific contribution along two lines: in the context of the rising national awareness in Finland in the 19th century and of the mainstream developments in the scientific scene of this time. Based on Castrén's travel diaries, correspondence and lectures, the article seeks to contribute to understanding the historical aspects that shaped this great researcher situated as he was between three national traditions of his time: his writing was mostly in Swedish, his research activities were mainly carried out on behalf of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and yet he is most prized as a pioneer of Finnish linguistics, ethnography, archaeology and other disciplines.

In 2008, the emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri colony at Amanda Bay, East Antarctica, was designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area by the 31st Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine. It is only the third emperor penguin colony in the Australian Antarctic Territory to receive this status. The colony has been known to exist since 1956 and numerous visits have been made to it, especially by personnel from Australia's Davis station. On a number of occasions, attempts were made to estimate the number of birds in the colony in order to obtain an insight into the size of the breeding population. Here we report on the history of visitation to the colony since the 1950s and examine the quality of information collected with regard to the usefulness of this information in terms of population analyses. We also report the results of the first visit to the Amanda Bay colony made in winter with the specific purpose of estimating the number of birds present and of highlighting the need for long term monitoring programmes to assess the viability of emperor penguins in future.

While it is well known that the originator of the plans for the first International Polar Year was Carl Weyprecht, and that Georg Neumayer was important in guiding the project in its early stages and to eventual fruition, the pivotal role of Heinrich Wild, who became chairman of the International Polar Commission, and was a member of the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences and of the Russian Geographical Society, has been largely overlooked in this context. Furthermore the important work undertaken by the Russian scientific establishment with regard to the project is also little known. This paper seeks to throw light on these matters. Because of the difference in 12 days in the Russian and European calendars in the 19th century, for the sake of clarity, only the new (European) calendar is employed in the text.

This paper reports on an exploratory analysis examining the prevalence of food (in)security in the Inuit community of Igloolik, Nunavut, identifying high risk groups, and characterising conditions facilitating and constraining food security. A stratified cross-sectional food survey was administered to 50 Inuit community members in July 2007. 64% of the participants surveyed experienced some degree of food insecurity in the past year (July 2006–July 2007). Food insecurity among the sample population greatly exceeds the Canadian average. This is cause for concern given the negative physical and mental health impacts that have been documented for low nutritional status. The prevalence and severity of food insecurity differed among participants; females and those obtaining most of their food from the store were at highest risk of food insecurity. Consumption of traditional foods was significantly associated with increased food security. The study supports the need for further research to investigate key trends highlighted by the sample. Preliminary identification of potential trends contributes towards the goal of identifying entry points for policy aimed at strengthening northern Inuit food systems.

Confusion has long existed on the subject of Vilhjalmur Stefansson's citizenship. A Canadian (that is, a British subject) by birth, Stefansson was brought up and educated in the United States. When his father became an American citizen in 1887, according to the laws of the time Stefansson too became an American. Dual citizenship was not then permitted by either the British or the American laws. Therefore, Stefansson was no longer a British subject. After he took command of the government sponsored Canadian Arctic Expedition in 1913, Stefansson was careful to give the impression that his status had never changed. Although Stefansson swore an oath of allegiance to King George V in May 1913, he did not take the other steps that would have been required to restore him to being Canadian. But, by an American act passed in 1907, this oath meant the loss of Stefansson's American citizenship. In the 1930s American officials informed Stefansson that he must apply for naturalisation in order to regain it. From 1913 until he received his American citizenship papers in 1937, Stefansson was a man without a country.

The first factory ship of the so-called modern era of Antarctic whaling was Admiralen, arriving together with two smaller catcher boats in the South Shetland Islands in January 1906, after a period of whaling in the Falkland Islands. The expedition leader was Alexander Lange, a Norwegian whaler with a long experience from whaling in northern Norway and Spitsbergen. He kept a diary for a considerable period and this covered several whaling voyages. The one dealing with the pioneer Antarctic season of 1905–1906 has been translated from Norwegian into English and is presented here with an introduction that places the expedition into its wider context.

During the first International Polar Year (1882–1883) the French expedition to Bahia Orange, Hoste Island, Tierra del Fuego carried out a series of 39 measurements of concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These were supplemented by 6 measurements during the return voyage to Cherbourg. In addition 20 similar measurements were made at 4 stations in the northern hemisphere and 17 at 3 stations in the southern hemisphere that were participating in the transit of Venus observations.

The first landing on South Georgia was made in 1775. Sealing expeditions arrived soon afterwards, and during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries men plundered the beaches and seas surrounding the island for seals and whales. Sealing and whaling ceased in the 1960s, when declining whale numbers and the increasing use of other forms of oil made the industry uneconomical. Although an isolated island with a small population and a severe climate, South Georgia has a rich history. Its medical history has not been previously studied. This paper aims to look at some aspects of the medical history of the island, from early expeditions of discovery, through to the 20th century whaling industry. Surviving whalers and whaling doctors were interviewed. Published material with any relevance to South Georgia, including academic texts and personal memoirs, were searched for details of hospitals, doctors and medical events on the island. Documents archived in South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and the United Kingdom revealed much useful information, and occasional documents came to light from other sources. Aspects of the provision of medical services over two centuries from 1775 to the beginning of the 1960s are described. Morbidity and mortality are summarised and discussed, as are differences between medical care in South Georgia and standard care.

Further information is presented relating to a sledge discovered on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands in 2007.