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The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), formerly the '''Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS)''', is an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council , and has, for the last fifty years, undertaken the majority of Britain's scientific research on and around the Antarctic Continent . It now shares that continent with scientists from around thirty countries. BAS employs over 400 staff, and supports three stations in the Antarctic, at Rothera , Halley and Signy Island , a seasonal logistics base at Fossil Bluff and two stations on South Georgia , at King Edward Point and Bird Island . The Antarctic operations and science programmes are executed and managed from Cambridge , and rely on a wide-ranging team of professional staff. Ice-strengthened ships sustain the Antarctic operations. RRS ''James Clark Ross'' has advanced facilities for oceanographic research. RRS ''Ernest Shackleton'' is primarily a logistics ship used for the resupply of stations. The Royal Navy 's Ice Patrol Vessel HMS ''Endurance'' has Helicopter s and provides valuable logistic support. Four Twin Otter aircraft fitted with wheels and skis are operated from Rothera and Halley, while a wheels-only Dash-7 aircraft provides the inter-continental air-link from Rothera to the Falkland Islands , and flies inland to Blue Ice Runway s. The science budget for 2000-2001 was agreed at £29.8 million. Of this, the core strategic science programme was budgeted at £6.5 million and supporting the science, the infrastructure was budgeted at £21.0 million. The latter figure includes £18.0 million expenditure on ships, aircraft and research stations. The high costs involved highlight the challenges BAS faces in operating within a harsh and remote environment. The Antarctic explorer Sir Vivian Fuchs was director of BAS from 1958 to 1973 . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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