Abyss to Antarctica

What links the abyss of the deep sea to the southernmost ice shelves? Can open-source science protect Antarctica? And how urgent is the threat of deep-sea mining? In this episode of Voice of Commons host Giulia Foscari speaks with deep-sea biologist and polar explorer Antje Boetius. Broadcast just after the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice and ahead of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings in Milan, In this episode, we speak with her about the critical role of Antarctica as a planetary climate regulator, the commitment of open science through Antarctica InSync, the hidden carbon cycle of the deep sea, the threats of deep-sea mining, and the urgency of marine protection. As President of MBARI and former Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Boetius offers urgent insight into the living systems that sustain us and why we must act now to defend both the Ocean and Antarctica.

Antje Boetius is a marine biologist recognized for her research on deep-sea ecosystems and climate change. She is the President and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Professor at the University of Bremen and former Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute. Antje led over fifty polar and marine international expeditions and is a strong advocate for ocean conservation and climate action. Her numerous awards include the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize and the German Environmental Award. She is involved with the Max Planck Society and the German National Academy Leopoldina, and is an official Advisor of Voice of Commons. Antje was born at 322 parts per million carbon dioxide in the Atmosphere.