The Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base is managed by the Marine Technology Unit (UTM) of CSIC. It was inaugurated in 1988. Its purpose is to support Spanish activities in Antarctica and, in particular, the scientific research projects coordinated by the Antarctic Research Subprogramme of the National Natural Resources Programme. The base is only operational during the austral summer, from mid-November to early March, although automated records are kept throughout the year. It is located on the southeast coast of the South Bay, on the Hurd Peninsula of Livingston Island (South Shetland Archipelago), about 20 nautical miles from the Spanish Gabriel de Castilla base on Deception Island. Access to the BAE is open and competitive and is regulated by an access protocol that prioritises requests for the use of the infrastructure based on the scientific and technological quality of the proposals.