Antarctic on board the Alfred Wegener Institute's icebreaker Polarstern since 8 February 2026. In this key region for global ocean currents, the focus has been on the outflow of ice and water from the

After 183 days in the Antarctic, the research vessel Polarstern returned to its home port today, 15 May. She was welcomed in Bremerhaven in the presence of Federal Research Minister Dorothee [...] and Marine Research (AWI), Hajo Eicken. From its voyage, the Polarstern is bringing back important findings on the causes of the recent sea ice retreat in the Antarctic and its repercussions.

through the deep sea, including AWI research carried out on the Polarstern and in the laboratory. The film is available in the ARTE media library.

In 1999, the Alfred Wegener Institute launched an ambitious project: the HAUSGARTEN observatory in the Fram Strait between northeast Greenland and Svalbard. Spanning ice-covered waters and extending to depths of more than 5,500 metres, this unique research infrastructure has become a key site for monitoring the impact of climate change on polar marine ecosystems. A special issue of the journal Deep-Sea Research Part II : Topical Studies in Oceanography now brings together key findings from 25 years of research at HAUSGARTEN, underscoring the urgent need for global climate action.

On 26 August 2026, the Polarstern achieved an impressive milestone: the German research icebreaker has covered a full two million nautical miles since it entered

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