Mick Mackey: A scientist's career on ice

Over 80 of these photographs can be seen at the ‘Shots from a Dark Light’ exhibition, which runs at Cork Vision Centre until Dec 13.
Mackey’s trip was not for the fainthearted. In winter, temperatures drop to -10C, and the small team of biologists are completely isolated from the outside world for long periods. However, this is one of the most biologically dense areas on earth; it is estimated that there is a bird or seal for every 1.5m² of the 400 hectare island.