An 'Alien' in Antarctica

A tiny flightless midge, Eretmoptera murphyi, accidentally introduced to Antarctica in the 1960s, has spread across Signy Island and now dominates the soil ecosystem. Its larvae feed on dead plant material, enriching the soil with nitrogen and changing conditions in ways that could help other species invade. Octavia's research reveals these midge-altered soils also release more greenhouse gases, meaning this small insect could be quietly accelerating climate change in one of the planet’s most fragile environments.

Octavia Brayley is a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Birmingham and British Antarctic Survey, principally investigating the ecological impacts of a non-native insect species on Signy Island, Antarctica. Her work integrates biogeochemistry and microbiology to assess environmental effects, recently expanding to the microbiomes and physiology of related insects in sub-Antarctic regions. Beyond research, Octavia was the previous co-head of education and outreach for the UK Polar Network, and hosts the Polar Diaries podcast.

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