As glaciers and ice sheets lose mass, sea levels rise. Important data are still lacking on how the ice is changing in remote East Antarctica. The 2026/27 field season, the second of the iQ2300 research theme, will help improve projections of future sea-level rise.
A study based on samples from the 2021 Synoptic Arctic Survey research expedition with the icebreaker Oden has been published in Nature Communications. Fossil otoliths—the ear stones of fish—reveal how ice cod and polar cod lived in the Arctic Ocean during the last ice age.
Research and observations are essential for tracking climate change in the Arctic and understanding its impacts. In its new Arctic strategy, the EU highlights the need to strengthen climate research, observation and monitoring. The strategy also stresses the importance of being able to operate in the Arctic and the need to strengthen European icebreaker capacity.
How can preparedness be strengthened for incidents involving cruise ships in the Arctic? This was one of the questions discussed at Cold Seas, Critical Gaps, held in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, on 13–15 October.
The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat and the Swiss Polar Institute are strengthening their cooperation in polar research. A new Memorandum of Understanding will create better conditions for scientific collaboration, researcher exchanges and access to research infrastructure.
Francis Halzen has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin. Swedish researchers have been involved in the project since 1993, and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat has contributed logistical support and personnel during installation campaigns at the South Pole.
The Abisko-Stordalen ICOS station, part of the research infrastructure at Abisko Scientific Research Station, has received the Best ICOS Ecosystem Station Award 2026. The award recognises the quality of the station’s data and metadata, as well as its responsiveness.
For just over a year, two cameras have been streaming live from the seabed of the Gullmar Fjord. Now AI is helping researchers keep count of everything that swims past the cameras.
Hanna Farnelid at the Linnaeus University leads the research school during Canada–Sweden Arctic Ocean 2026 which starts on August 10. The programme gives early-career researchers the opportunity to combine theory, fieldwork and international collaboration in the central Arctic Ocean.
Kristineberg Marine Research Station has acquired a new research vessel. After being christened on 10 June, R/V Broms is now on its way to its new home port on Sweden’s west coast. The vessel will play an important role in ongoing investments at Kristineberg and will strengthen opportunities for research, education and the development of new marine technologies.
The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat participated in the 28th European Research Vessel Operators (ERVO) Meeting in Trieste, Italy, together with colleagues from the Swedish Research Vessel Network (SON), including R/V Svea, R/V Skagerak and I/B Oden.
In the summer of 2026, researchers will travel to Bear Island (Bjørnøya) in the Barents Sea to investigate fossils and sedimentary rocks from a time when life on land underwent major changes. The expedition is led by researchers from the Swedish Museum of Natural History and carried out with operational support from the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat.
When the icebreaker Oden departs for the Arctic during the Canada–Sweden Arctic Ocean 2026 expedition, upper secondary school teacher Henrik Swärd will be on board as a participant in the expedition’s Teacher Program. For him, the expedition is not only an opportunity to experience research up close, but also to bring knowledge and experiences back to the classroom.
The government has presented a new strategy for a peaceful, secure and sustainable Arctic. The strategy highlights polar research as a strategic resource for Sweden, with significance for knowledge generation, international cooperation and Swedish presence in the polar regions.
The public report from the international Arctic tabletop exercise CORE25-A has now been published. During the exercise, which was conducted in Stockholm in November 2025, the Secretariat participated together with authorities, researchers and international actors to discuss resilience, maritime infrastructure and cooperation in the Arctic.
Author and playwright Andreas Norman has been selected for the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat’s Artist Program during the Canada–Sweden Arctic Ocean 2026 expedition aboard the icebreaker Oden. In his writing, Andreas moves between documentary material and fiction, often focusing on individuals navigating contemporary power structures and closed environments.
