A New Zealand coroner has concluded that the reasons surrounding the death from methanol poisoning of an Australian scientist working at the South Pole eight years ago, remain a mystery. Dr Rodney David Marks, 32, died in May 2000 while working with 49 other scientists at a research base operated by the United States' National Science Foundation (NSF). But it is unclear how he came to ingest the methanol and Christchurch Coroner Richard McElrea has recommended that the New Zealand government consider means of ensuring full investigations into deaths in Antarctic territory.