King Edward Point

King Edward Point is a headland on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, home to an eponymous research station is located. It was named in the early 20th century after the British King Edward VII.

Location

King Edward Point is located on the north coast of South Georgia 900 meters to the east (670 meters distance) of the former whale catcher Grytviken King Edward Cove, a tributary of the Cumberland Bay East Bay. Built on rocky ground building the research station are about three meters above the sea level.

Research Station

Due to the strongly increasing whaling activities, the British government had in 1925 built the Discovery House, to explore how the over-fishing could be counteracted. In addition, studies on the local bird and seal deposits were created. On January 1, 1950, the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey ( FIDS ), initially for two years took over the research station. From November 13, 1969, now in the British Antarctic Survey (BAS ) renamed FIDS work resumed. On April 3, 1982, was closed in the Falklands war of which the island filled Argentine troops and was then almost 20 years orphaned. Since March 22, 2001 to work in summer to 18 in winter, average of eight researchers from the BAS in King Edward Point.

In two -story buildings, the James Cook Laboratory and the Everson House, are modern laboratories where fisheries research is conducted.

See also: research stations in Antarctica

Shackleton's Memorial Cross

On a hill not far from the building is the Shackleton's Memorial Cross, a cross, which was erected in honor of the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton Henry, who died on a research trip in King Edward Cove and was buried in Grytviken.