14 June 2012
Discovery Investigations captured in digital archive
The University of Dundee’s Centre for Remote Environments has launched a new website containing an archive of almost 2000 photographs taken during scientific explorations to the Antarctic region.
The rarely seen images depict wildlife and scenery in South Georgia and Antarctica as well as capturing what life was like for the men who took part in the Discovery Investigations, a series of British funded scientific studies which took place in and around the Antarctic Southern Ocean.
The Discovery Investigations were undertaken between 1925 and 1951, with trips periodically conducted onboard three research vessels - R.R.S. Discovery, R.R.S. William Scoresby and R.R.S. Discovery II.
The site comprises a searchable archive of over 1800 photographs taken during these expeditions covering broad range of subjects including science, wildlife, landscapes, people, and ships. It offers a visual insight to a unique age of scientific exploration, and also captures social events such as festive parties and football matches, which members of the expeditions took part in during the long excursions.
The originals are available at the Southampton National Oceanography Centre but until now they have not been available in large quantities online on a searchable system.
Paul Shafi, Technical Director at the Centre for Remote Environments, said, “We are proud to announce the launch of this new website.
“The photography and imagery that feature in Discovery Investigations, should be of considerable value to any researchers with an interest in South Georgia and Antarctica. The general public will also be able to enjoy an insight into a unique age of British led scientific exploration.”
After severe over-fishing and the near devastation of Arctic whale stocks during the latter half of the 19th century, the Discovery Investigations were established by the British Government with the principal aim of gathering enough significant research as to ensure a more effective management of the remaining stocks in the Antarctic region.
The studies were also conducted on land at the marine biological station Discovery House, at King Edward Point on the Island of South Georgia. These investigations would include a study of the migration, feeding patterns, breeding, nursing and rearing periods of the whales as well as the plankton that forms their diet, and research into the physical and biological nature of the oceans they inhabit.
Professor Elaine Shemilt, Creative Director of the Centre, said, “Because the cruises contributed so much to the scientific understanding of the Southern Ocean, not least in explaining the Antarctic Convergence and the importance of krill as the base of the food chain in polar seas the reports go well beyond the original aim of investigating the commercial whaling industry.
“We undertook to catalogue and digitise these photographs so that they could be accessed by researchers worldwide and also so that they could be seen in relation to the Discovery Database (British Antarctic Survey). Even today scientists draw upon knowledge gained from the Discovery Investigations.”
RRS Discovery was, of course, built in Dundee and remains one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions at its dry dock berth at Discovery Quay.
The Centre for Remote Environment is a research and consultancy group based within the College of Art, Science and Engineering at the University of Dundee and encompasses Project Atlantis, a group based in Dundee created to provide environmental educational resources through digital media.
The images can be accessed at www.discoveryinvestigations.ac.uk.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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