Long exposure of the Aurora Australis near the waterfront at Casey Station. Photo: Eden Zhang
Expeditions enjoy some down time with a beautiful sunset off Browning Peninsula. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
Vanderford glacier catches the sunlight after researchers spend a long day of soil sampling at Browning Peninsula. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
Capturing the sun while expeditioners travel back to Casey Station via Haaglands from Browning Peninsula. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
A penguin family living at site one, Robinson Ridge. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
Peguins on an iceberg, captured during recreational time by expeditioners at Casey Station after sampling at Robinson Ridge. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
Penguin trails at site two, Mitchell Peninsula. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
Soil sampling at site two, Mitchell Peninsula, while penguin passes by. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
A sun-baking leopard seal, taken during recreational time off Casey Station. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
Robinson Ridge in the Windmill Islands, east Antarctica. This is the site where UNSW researchers first discovered air-eating bacteria. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
The view from the top of the Robinson Ridge field site. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
UNSW researchers Belinda Ferrari and Eden Zhang collect soil samples at Mitchell Peninsula in Antarctica. Photo: Catherine King
UNSW Sydney and Australian Antarctic Division researchers walk to a site at Site 3, Browning Peninsula to collect soil samples. Pictured are Mark Raymond, Daniel Wilkins and Catherine King. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
Australian Antarctic Division scientist Daniel Wilkins uses the GPS to locate the sampling positions at Robinson Ridge. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
UNSW researchers Belinda Ferrari and Eden Zhang with Australian Antarctic Division scientist Catherine King at the wheel, on the way to Browning Peninsula. Photo: Catherine King
Team Ferrari at Robinson Ridge hut after a long day of soil sampling. Pictured, UNSW researchers Belinda Ferrari and Eden Zhang with Australian Antarctic Division scientists Daniel Wilkins, Mark Raymond and Catherine King. Photo: Catherine King
The researchers make a quick stop on the way to Browning Peninsula. Their transport of choice between field sites are the Hauuglands. Photo: Belinda Ferrari
UNSW Sydney researchers have found their previous discovery of bacteria living on air in Antarctica is likely a process that occurs globally, further supporting the potential existence of microbial life on alien planets.
The study’s senior author Associate Professor Belinda Ferrari, of UNSW Science, said living on air was such a minimalistic way to survive that their findings lent further potential for microbial life to exist on other planets.
The new research was published in the journal Frontiers this month and was a collaboration between UNSW, the Australian Antarctic Division and China’s Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research.