Setting sail to a region in rapid transition
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 6 February 2026
Research vessel Polarstern departs for the Summer Weddell Sea Outflow Study to investigate why Antarctic sea ice has declined sharply and its ecosystem impacts.
Keywords: Weddell Sea, Antarctica, sea ice, Polarstern, SWOS expedition, climate change, Southern Ocean
Coastal ocean chemistry now substantially shaped by humans
University of California, Riverside
Published: 16 March 2026
A global analysis of 2,300+ seawater samples reveals human-made organic molecules reach up to 20% of detected matter in coastal oceans, far more widespread than previously recognized.
Keywords: coastal ocean, anthropogenic chemicals, dissolved organic matter, ocean pollution, seawater chemistry, Nature Geoscience
Scientists first drilling mission on remote and inaccessible glacier
British Antarctic Survey
Published: 29 January 2026
UK and Korean researchers drill through 1,000m of ice at Thwaites Glacier to directly observe how warm ocean water melts it from below, collecting the first long-term measurements at this location.
Keywords: Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica, ice drilling, ocean warming, sea level rise, ice shelf, Doomsday Glacier
