British Antarctic Survey dodges merger

Science : The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will remain intact despite a proposal to merge with the National Oceanography Centre. Last week the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which proposed the merger earlier this year, made the decision to cancel in the wake of protests from many in the scientific community and objections by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. Although NERC claimed the move would save money, many worried that it would “erode the survey’s celebrated reputation in polar research,” writes Carolyn Gramling for Science. Despite the pall cast by the proposed merger, 2012 was a banner year for the BAS: It opened its state-of-the-art Halley Research Station and sent scientists to Antarctica to prepare for a historic drilling into a subglacial lake.