Research vessel Polarstern

The research vessel Polarstern was first commissioned in 1982. Since then, the ship has completed almost 300 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. Specially designed for working in polar seas, Polarstern is still one of the most sophisticated polar research and supply vessels in the world. And although it has been in service for over 35 years, it can still fully perform its operational duties thanks to the modern technology on board.

In the autumn of 2019, Polarstern embarked on the MOSAiC expedition, the greatest Arctic expedition of all time: for over a year the research icebreaker drifted across the Arctic Ocean, trapped in the sea ice. Hundreds of scientists from more than 80 institutes in 20 countries researched the Arctic during the course of the year and investigated the effects of climate change.

The ship is equipped for research in the areas of biology, geology, geophysics, glaciology, chemistry, oceanography and meteorology. It has nine research laboratories and can be equipped with additional laboratory containers.

This research vessel is operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven. It is owned by the Federal Government, represented by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Scientists on board Polarstern conduct

• Polar research
• Earth research
• Marine research
• Climate research