An Australian Research Council Special Research Initiative

Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future

SAEF is an impact research program delivering science in, from and about Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Our work seeks to deliver the understanding required for policy and action that benefit civil society, business and government.

Why Protect Antarctica?

Antarctica is one of the most extraordinary places on Earth. The continent and its surrounding Southern Ocean are full of wildlife and wilderness, yet their role in shaping our future is too often overlooked.

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean influence the planet’s climate and sea level, including climate extremes and abrupt changes. A sustainable future will only be possible if policy and civil society recognise this power to influence our daily lives.

Nations must focus on the implementation of global policies such as decarbonisation, and local approaches, like marine protected areas, to secure Antarctica’s environmental future.

About Saef

Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future is an Australian Antarctic Program research and workforce development initiative revealing how Antarctica, people and nature shape one another globally.

SAEF combines big data, remote sensing, AI and field research to provide options for an Antarctic that is valued, protected and understood – securing a sustainable future for our world.

About Us

Our Research in Antarctica

People and nature are inseparably linked. What we do influences Antarctica. What happens in Antarctica influences us. Our research seeks to understand this interaction.

Our work is transdisciplinary, international, collaborative and innovative – the only way we can deliver the momentum needed to understand and overcome today’s significant challenges.

We investigate climate systems, the Antarctic Ice Sheet, changes in the Southern Ocean, and the responses of biodiversity, to ensure effective policy is informed by reliable science.

Explore our research

Frequently Asked Questions

Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF) is a research program that studies Antarctica and the Southern Ocean to provide evidence-based  guidance that policymakers, business leaders and communities can use to protect Antarctica and civil society.

Visit our About page to learn more about SAEF.

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean have a significant impact on the world – on temperatures, sea-levels and the severity of extreme events. When Antarctica changes, we all feel it.

A sustainable future depends on recognising that influence and acting accordingly. Decisions taken about emissions and protection in and around the Antarctic will shape risks to homes, economies and ecosystems far beyond the polar region.

Click here to learn why it is important that we protect Antarctica.

Our research is used by policymakers, business leaders, institutions and communities all around the world.

The program’s purpose is to deliver understanding that supports policy and action. By explaining what is changing, what’s next and what to do, SAEF helps decision-makers plan, adapt and protect what matters to people and nature.

To better understand the science, visit the Our Research page.

Got a question not answered here?

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Recent News

  • 19 Mar 2026

    The World’s Loneliest Cabbage

  • 6 Mar 2026

    2025 French-Australian Research Grant recipients announced

  • 27 Feb 2026

    Finding stranger things: catching a real-life ‘Demogorgon’ from the Antarctic deep

  • 23 Mar 2026

    Microbes can survive dark Antarctic winters and a hotter future by living on air

    “It’s a bit like seeing a penguin thrive in a tropical jungle.” That’s how SAEF scientist Dr Ry Holland from Monash University describes new research that has shown Antarctic microbes can survive in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 75°C – a staggering 95°C temperature span.   The study, led by SAEF…
More news


Latest Research

  • 23 Mar 2026

    Microbes can survive dark Antarctic winters and a hotter future by living on air

    “It’s a bit like seeing a penguin thrive in a tropical jungle.” That’s how SAEF scientist Dr Ry Holland from Monash University describes new research that has shown Antarctic microbes can survive in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 75°C – a staggering 95°C temperature span.   The study, led by SAEF…
  • 18 Feb 2026

    SAEF scientists identify priority Southern Ocean genetic hotspots for conservation

  • 4 Feb 2026

    What will Antarctica look like in 100 years? Five possible future for life on the ice.

More research

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In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which SAEF operates across Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to the land and water, and their deep and enduring understanding of how to care for Country. We are committed to learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and building a brighter future together.

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