Antarctic channel named after former BBC science reporter Jonathan Amos

A stretch of water in Antarctica has been named after the former BBC science correspondent Jonathan Amos, in recognition of decades spent explaining polar science to the public.

The Amos Channel lies between Rothschild Island and the much larger Alexander Island, in the west of the continent. It is a newly formed feature: it opened up when a chunk of ice that had connected the two islands broke apart.

"What an extraordinary accolade"

The name was recommended by the UK Antarctic Place-names Committee, which looks after names in the British Antarctic Territory and in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The committee said Amos was honoured for his "exceptional and influential role in bringing Antarctic research to the forefront of public understanding" during a 38-year career at BBC News.

"It's absolutely incredible - what an extraordinary accolade. I'm so touched that there's a little bit of Antarctica named after me," Amos said.

Despite his fascination with the far south, he has never been there. "I've written about it so often, but always from my desk - this is quite the incentive to go and visit," he said, adding: "Antarctica is the front line of the biggest news story on planet Earth - climate change."

A career of icebergs and penguins

Over the years Amos reported on colossal icebergs, the fate of penguin colonies and melting ice sheets. He also broke a BBC exclusive on the discovery of the wreck of Ernest Shackleton's lost ship, Endurance.

He joined the BBC in 1986 as a local radio reporter in Cambridge, was part of the team that launched the BBC News website in 1997, and ran its online science desk for many years. He later worked as a science correspondent across television, radio and online, before leaving the BBC in 2024.

Athena Dinar, from the British Antarctic Survey, said: "Jon's passion for Antarctica and engaging journalism offers something for every reader, viewer or listener. The naming of an Antarctic place in his honour is a fitting recognition of his outstanding contribution to the promotion of Antarctic research."

Fiona Fox, from the Science Media Centre, said Amos "consistently highlighted the importance of Antarctic research, explaining not only what science is being done there, but why it matters for society, climate understanding and the global environment."

How Antarctic places get their names

Naming places in Antarctica follows strict rules, and names in the British Antarctic Territory are recommended by the UK committee. A name honouring a journalist is a recognition of the role that reporting plays in helping the public understand science.

The channel's own story is a sign of the changes Amos spent his career describing: it exists because the ice that once joined two islands has gone.