09/20/2026 | Heiner Kubny
China and Russia are planning a new container fleet for the Arctic
Rendering of a new ice-class Arc7 container ship for the Northeast Passage. The freighter, developed by the United Shipbuilding Corporation, is designed to carry more than 4,800 standard containers and navigate autonomously through first-year ice up to 1.7 metres thick. The project forms part of the
09/19/2026 | Marcel Schütz
Professor Molchanov: Legal dispute over Russian ship in Svalbard
Professor Molchanov (Image: Polar Journal)The Norwegian authorities detained the Russian Professor Molchanov in Barentsburg on 2 September under a court order. The measure stems from a compensation claim by Ukrainian energy group Naftogaz against Russia. All 69 passengers and crew members have now r
09/18/2026 | Yana Kirichenko
Why Are Beavers Moving Into the Arctic?
Beavers are expanding their range in multiple places across the North American Arctic, raising concerns in some local communities. In north-western Canada, some residents have even described them as “pests”. (Image: NPS / Public Domain)Beavers have been moving north across Alaska for decades. Scient
09/17/2026 | Heiner Kubny
Suspicious manoeuvres over Svalbard’s undersea cables
A Russian fishing trawler in the harbour of Båtsfjord in northern Norway. Russian fishing vessels are still permitted to operate in certain Norwegian waters. Several trawlers have recently been repeatedly spotted over the routes of the undersea cables between the Norwegian mainland and Svalbard. (Ph
09/17/2026 | Rosamaria Kubny
Robot searches for rare North Atlantic right whales
A critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) swims alongside five dolphins through the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts. The aerial photograph was taken on 24 June 2020 as part of scientific observations. (Image: Allison Henry / NOA
09/16/2026 | Heiner Kubny
Churchill could become a year-round Arctic port
An aerial view of the port of Churchill on Hudson Bay. The grain terminal, rail link and quay facilities could play a key role in future year-round shipping between the Canadian hinterland and international markets. (Photo: Arctic Gateway Group)The Canadian port of Churchill on Hudson Bay could in f
09/16/2026 | Heiner Kubny
Satellites track emperor penguins through the polar night
Emperor penguins with a chick on Antarctic sea ice. New satellite observations show that emperor penguin colonies by no means remain in the same place throughout the entire breeding season. They can split up and, depending on ice conditions and the time of year, sometimes move to significantly diffe
09/15/2026 | Heiner Kubny
Tropical heat is causing Antarctica to expand
Satellite view of the Totten Ice Shelf in East Antarctica. The rugged ice surface meets sea ice and open water, which appear black in the satellite image. The Totten Glacier is one of the most significant outflow areas of the East Antarctic ice sheet and is highly sensitive to changes in the ocean a
09/15/2026 | Heiner Kubny
New project investigates the Southern Ocean
In early March, an iceberg blocked the northern jetty used to supply Neumayer Station III in Atka Bay, Antarctica. Just as the wind had carried the iceberg to the edge of the ice shelf, it blew it away again after a few days. (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Peter Jonczyk)The Southern Ocean and An
09/14/2026 | Polar Journal AG Team
Do Polar Bears Kiss?
Polar bears are specifically mentioned by the Ig Nobel-winning researchers as animals that engage in kissing under their definition, alongside a diverse range of animals including ants and birds. (Image: Alan D. Wilson / CC BY-SA 3.0 / cropped)A 2026 Ig Nobel Prize went to scientists who redefined w
09/13/2026 | Heiner Kubny
Tara Polar Station meets Xue Long 2 in the Arctic pack ice
On 9 September 2026, the Tara Polar Station reached its planned drift area in the central Arctic Ocean. In the background is the Chinese research icebreaker Xue Long 2, which helped Tara navigate through the pack ice to the selected ice floe. There, at 82°24′ N, 155°03′ E, the planned drift through
09/13/2026 | Rosamaria Kubny
The first emperor penguin chicks have arrived
An emperor penguin chick seeks shelter between its parent’s feet. The thick down keeps the chicks warm, but in the first few weeks of life they still rely on their parents for protection and warmth. (Photo: AAD, Jordan Smith)At the Auster Rookery in East Antarctica, a new chapter in life is beginnin
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