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With war threatening Ukraine’s crop collections, a new shipment to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault places backup seeds in Arctic storage, ready to help restore varieties if the originals are lost.
The Irish town of Athy marks its connection to Ernest Shackleton with a festival of polar history, science, art and activities for all ages.
An autonomous sailing vessel just seven metres long has set off from Hobart on a months-long voyage round Antarctica.
Even thick sea ice cannot completely hold back Greenland’s glaciers. New measurements from north-west Greenland show that glaciers break off icebergs even in the middle of winter.
On Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, researchers have documented an unusually large gathering of leopard seals.
Every summer, a vast dark zone forms on the south-western edge of the Greenland ice sheet. A new study reveals the processes that darken the ice and thereby further accelerate its melt.
Russia and India intend to significantly step up their cooperation on the Northern Sea Route. A joint pilot shipment through the Russian Arctic could take place as early as 2027.
New research shows how large quantities of meltwater from East Antarctica enter the Southern Ocean and spread over a wide area.
Despite its stereotypical image as an empty white landscape, the Arctic is replete with colour. In this vivid, almost literary piece, Dr. Gomathy Muthukrishnan explores some of the science behind it.
Development of the vast Syradasayskoye coal deposit on the Taymyr Peninsula has been halted for economic and logistical reasons.
A new study reveals that Zavodovski Island has lost nearly two thirds of its breeding chinstrap penguins, ending its status as the world’s largest penguin colony.
How can an entire lake disappear? In the Arctic, lakes sometimes drain within hours. A new public platform lets anyone follow these remarkable changes.
China is continuing to expand its scientific presence in the Arctic. Four Chinese research vessels were already operating in the waters off Alaska in 2026.
Using artificial intelligence, researchers have, for the first time, systematically mapped tens of thousands of grounded icebergs along the Antarctic coast. Even small icebergs could play an important role in sea ice and ice shelves.
A species of penguin previously unrecognised by science as a distinct species lives on the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean.
Iceland is on the cusp of a historic turning point in whaling. The government intends to permanently ban commercial whaling and will table a corresponding bill in parliament in February 2027.
Several active volcanic systems lie beneath the seabed of Bransfield Strait. A new study now uses geochemical signatures to reveal the origin of their magma and the processes taking place deep beneath the seabed.
In the middle of the Arctic Ocean, the Swedish research icebreaker Oden has surveyed the seabed for an unusual infrastructure project.
Many remote communities in Alaska have little or no regular access to a veterinarian. Recent initiatives are trying to bring veterinary care directly to them.
The Golden Age of Antarctic exploration (1897–1922) produced a host of heroes, whom we regularly feature in this section.
Coffee-centered traditions take many forms around the world, but on the Arctic island of Greenland, gatherings around coffee have developed some distinctive features.
A major expedition cruise operator has reported a record 26,491 citizen science contributions from its Arctic voyages during its 130th anniversary year.
The Antarctic spring is heralded by new arrivals at the Ukrainian research station Akademik Vernadsky.
Off the east coast of Greenland, the marine ecosystem has changed significantly over the past few decades. Fin whales, humpback whales and minke whales now appear in their thousands every summer.
A surprising discovery is changing our understanding of the life of Antarctic krill. Researchers have found sexually active females at hydrothermal vents at depths of more than 1,000 metres.
Volcanic eruptions are not among the hazards one typically associates with Antarctica.
A new study shows that the beaches of Deception Island are home to surprisingly diverse ecosystems.
A meteorite found in Antarctica preserves traces of a magnetic field from the early days of our solar system.
Researchers are counting polar bears in important denning areas of the Russian Arctic, with some preliminary observations pointing to potentially record numbers.
The Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) is one of the most important food fish for the Inuit and is considered the quintessential traditional staple food in many regions of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska.
A highway envisioned nearly 70 years ago is moving forward again as Canada invests in a long-planned road through the Northwest Territories.
A new study describes a previously unrecognised species of water bear found among fallen leaves in Svalbard.
Norwegian marine researchers have found a surprisingly large number of young cod in the glacial fjords of Svalbard. They are now investigating whether Atlantic cod are spreading further north as the Arctic warms.
Australia intends to significantly expand its research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in the coming years. Four major campaigns are set to investigate ice, sea ice, krill and marine ecosystems.
Greenland has opened Pilivik National Park in West Greenland. The protected area, which covers more than 22,000 square kilometres between Kangerlussuaq and Disko Bay, is intended to preserve Arctic landscapes and wildlife.
Antarctica appears to harbour a unique, hitherto largely hidden world beneath the soil. Researchers have identified strains of bacteria that have not yet been found anywhere else on Earth.
Thousands of gentoo penguins have returned unusually early to Galindez Island, near the Ukrainian Antarctic station Akademik Vernadsky. Just a few weeks earlier, the birds had left the island exceptionally late.
The waters around Svalbard were exceptionally warm this summer. Measurements show that surface temperatures in July were, in some places, more than three degrees above the long-term average
How do we know whether people are living well? When measuring life in the Arctic, researchers argue that standard measures may miss some of the things that matter most.
China and Russia are pressing ahead with their plans for regular container shipping via the Northern Sea Route.
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.
Beavers have been moving north across Alaska for decades. Scientists are still working out exactly why, and some of the latest findings are unexpected.
Several Russian fishing vessels have repeatedly crossed the routes of the undersea cables between the Norwegian mainland and Svalbard in recent days.
An autonomous underwater robot is set to solve one of the North Atlantic’s greatest mysteries in the coming weeks.
The Canadian port of Churchill on Hudson Bay could in future be called at by merchant ships all year round.
For the first time, researchers have succeeded in continuously tracking the movements of emperor penguin colonies from space, even during the dark Antarctic winter.
Antarctica has been losing large quantities of ice for decades. Yet between 2021 and 2023, something surprising happened.
The Southern Ocean and Antarctica are changing rapidly, yet many processes and their impacts on the global climate are still poorly understood.
A 2026 Ig Nobel Prize went to scientists who redefined what counts as a kiss. Under this new definition, polar bears apparently kiss too.
An extraordinary encounter took place in the middle of the Arctic Ocean: the Tara Polar Station met up with the Chinese research icebreaker Xue Long 2.
At the Auster Rookery in East Antarctica, a new chapter in life is beginning for thousands of emperor penguins.
It is not for lack of trying. But to this day scientists know of no reliable way to tell if a polar bear is pregnant.
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