Seventeen sealers sought refuge in a well-stocked Arctic house, only to die from an invisible danger hidden in their own supplies. Illustration of Svenskehuset on SvalbardIn 1872, a large wooden house called Svenskehuset was built at Cape Thordsen on the coast of Isfjorden in Svalbard. It was intend
Artist’s impression of the future Russian research and expedition vessel “Ivan Frolov”. The Project 23680 vessel is set to serve as the new flagship for Russian polar research in the Arctic and Antarctic. (Photo: AARI)Construction of the new Russian research and expedition vessel “Ivan Frolov” is pr
For many in Greenland, climate change is not a distant concept but a daily reality, even if its causes are understood in different ways. Greenlandic village along the coast (Photo: Heiner Kubny)When climate change is discussed, attention often focuses on melting glaciers and rising temperatures. In
Whilst expedition ships carrying fewer than 500 passengers allow shore excursions, large cruise ships such as the Celebrity Equinox, carrying over 3,100 passengers, usually sail through Antarctica without allowing passengers to go ashore. (Photo: Celebrity Cruises)Tourism in Antarctica has been grow
AAvV-18 provides new evidence of the independent evolution of the viral world of Antarctic penguins. (Photo: INACH)Antarctica was long considered to be virtually free of pathogens. Today, however, a completely different picture is emerging: The White Continent is home to a surprisingly wide variety
Ready for the solar eclipse on 12 August 2026: A camera, telephoto lens, sturdy tripod, and a securely mounted solar filter provide the foundation for safe and successful photographs of the partial phases.On the evening of 12 August 2026, millions of people will turn their eyes to the sky. One of th
Scurvy was a serious threat to polar expeditions, caused by a lack of vitamin C. Scurvy could develop gradually and weaken explorers over timeScurvy was one of the most serious and misunderstood threats faced by early polar explorers. It is caused by a lack of vitamin C, a nutrient essential for mai
From 20 to 23 August 2026, Hobart will be celebrating its unique connection to Antarctica – with science, history and activities for the whole family. Hobart’s waterfront. (Foto: AAF)The Australian Antarctic Festival will return to Hobart’s waterfront from 20–23 August 2026, celebrating Australia’s
Dreams often begin in the most unexpected places. Arleen González Pérez's dream started in Mexico City - a place where icy water simply does not exist. Yet that never stopped her from pursuing her passion for ice swimming. Team behind the world recordBy Arleen González PérezDreams often begin in the
Greenland is far more than ice, with most of its Inuit population living along the coasts where culture, economy, and environment are closely connected. A coastal settlement in Greenland (Photo: Heiner Kubny)Greenland has recently received increased international attention. Beyond this, the island i
The Xuelong 2 leaves the port of Dalian and sets off on China’s 16th Arctic expedition. (Photo: MNR)China has officially launched its 16th Arctic expedition. It is the country’s first research mission to the Arctic under the current 15th Five-Year Plan. The expedition set sail on 3 July 2026 from th
Thick fog in the Arctic is hampering shipping. With climate change and rising temperatures, reduced visibility is becoming more common in some regions, posing new challenges for navigation. (Photo: Rosatom)The effects of climate change in the Arctic are affecting not only sea ice but, increasingly,
Oceanographer Natalia Dikul with an Argobuoy that records temperature, salinity and other oceanographic data at depths of up to 1,500 metres. (Photo: Yuriy Shepeta, NASC)Using six autonomous Argobuoys, Ukrainian scientists have carried out the first-ever year-round oceanographic study in the Bransfi
The Arctic fox changes its coat with the seasons, shifting from brown in summer to white in winter to stay camouflaged year round. An Arctic fox in its white winter coat, providing camouflage in snowy environments (Photo: Jonatan Pie via Wikimedia, CC0 1.0)The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is one of t
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born on 11 June 1910 in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, near Bordeaux. Cousteau was a French pioneer, renowned worldwide for his marine research and for documenting it on film. In his films, his red woollen bobble hat was his trademark. Cousteau died on 25 June 1997 in Paris.Jacques
Common eider incubating eggs (Photo: Heiner Kubny)An unusually intense summer of polar bear visits has put one of Svalbard’s key eider duck breeding areas under heavy pressure. In Kongsfjorden, researchers from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) recorded the highest number of bear vi
Glaciers are constantly moving, and when large pieces of ice break off into the sea, they form icebergs in a process known as calving. Glacier front where icebergs can break off (Photo: Léa Zinsli)Glaciers may look solid and unchanging, but they are constantly moving. One of the most dramatic signs
The Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker ‘Rossiya’, part of Project 10510 ‘Lider’, is set to become the world’s most powerful icebreaker with an output of 120 megawatts (163,000 PS) and enable year-round shipping through the Northeast Passage. (Photo: Rosatomflot)With the construction of the new nucle
Titanosaurs were giant herbivorous sauropods of the Cretaceous period and were widespread across the southern continents.A bone discovered as far back as 1985 on the Antarctic Peninsula has now been officially identified as the first known dinosaur fossil ever found on the Antarctic continent. The v
Dr Daniel Baggenstos monitors a sublimation process in which greenhouse gases trapped in bubbles are extracted from a 50 g ice sample without the ice melting. (Photo: Mark Horstman)As part of the Australian ‘Million Year Ice Core’ (MYIC) project, scientists are studying air bubbles that have been tr
Decades after its abandonment, the Soviet mining settlement of Pyramiden remains suspended between Arctic wilderness, preserved history and the slow return of nature. An abandoned swing in Pyramiden (Photo: Léa Zinsli)Pyramiden is often described as a ghost town, but the former Soviet settlement on
Possesses almost colorless blood because it lacks hemoglobin (the red blood pigment) – a unique adaptation to the cold Antarctic waters. (Photo: WikiCommons)Antarctica is one of the most extreme habitats on Earth. Temperatures close to the freezing point pose major challenges for organisms, as many
German physicist Hauke Trinks combined unconventional origin-of-life research with years of Arctic overwintering expeditions alongside Marie Tièche. The former research station at Kinnvika, Nordaustlandet, Svalbard (Photo: Christopher Michel)In 1999, Hauke Trinks sailed alone from Hamburg to the nor
The skua, also known as the predatory gull, is a skilled hunter and scavenger. With its strength, intelligence and adaptability, it is one of Antarctica’s most significant seabirds. (Photo: NASC)At their meeting in Japan in May, the signatory states to the Antarctic Treaty unanimously supported the
