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![[Translate to English:] Die Mitglieder des On Ice Teams](/fileadmin/_processed_/6/8/csm_Die_29_Mitglieder_des_On_Ice_Teams_links_unten_Arne_Ulfers_credit-Ana-Tovey-SWAIS2C_cb7c4b1478.jpg "The members of the On Ice Team")
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![[Translate to English:] Wetterballon](/fileadmin/_processed_/a/f/csm_20120905_Neumayer__SC87926_SChristmann_95cfd8ec36.jpg "[Translate to English:] Wetterballon")
Antarctic Research Trends Report 2025
02. March 2026German research on Antarctic topics is at the forefront internationally. This is shown by the recently published “Antarctic Research Trends Report 2025,” which evaluated around 30,000 academic publications on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean from 2016 to 2024. For example, Germany ranks third behind the US and the UK in terms of publications produced in international cooperation, and fifth in terms of total number of publications. The publications of AWI researchers contribute significantly to this. They consistently rank in the top 10 in the international ranking of institutions. The report is published by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the University of the Arctic (UArctic) and can be found here: https://scar.org/scar-news/antarctic-research-trends-report
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Ice loss due to warm seawater
02. March 2026A study led by the British Antarctic Survey, in which AWI geoscientist Johann Klages also participated as co-author, has concluded that the retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet since the end of the last Ice Age around 18,000 years ago has been largely driven by warm seawater, not air. Analysis of sediment cores from the Amundsen Sea continental shelf shows that the ice retreated significantly whenever warm deep water reached the ice shelves. This process is accelerating the melting of the ice sheet once again today. In the area of the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers, the ice is retreating into ever deeper areas, which is accelerating the loss of ice mass and making a partial loss of the West Antarctic ice sheet increasingly likely. To the study
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On Expedition app
27. February 2026The new On Expedition app makes it possible to experience science up close. It brings together scientific reporting from polar research by combining posts from the research vessel Polarstern during its expeditions with from the Neumayer station III in Antarctica. The web app now provides access to up-to-date information on expeditions, overwintering at Neumayer Station III, and insights into research conducted under extreme environmental conditions. To the On Expedition app.
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TEDx Talk: Stars of Polar Night
12. February 2026AWI photographer Esther Horvath was a guest at the TEDx Talk on February 9 with her presentation “Stars of Polar Night”. She shared insights into her work in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as at the AWIPEV research station in Ny-Ålesund. With personal experiences and striking photos captured during the polar night, she illustrates how scientists conduct research in one of the most remote regions on Earth. Watch the talk.
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Live broadcast from Antarctica
11. February 2026A team from the Deutsches Theater has embarked on a journey to Antarctica to produce a theatre play there. Director Jan-Christoph Gockel, cameraman Lion Bischof, and actors Julia Gräfner and Wolfram Koch are living and working at Neumayer Station III for four weeks to experience Antarctica up close and ultimately share their experiences with audiences in the play “POLARIS.” An event gave the audience a first taste of the play with a live link to Antarctica. More information.
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Leif Erik Bodin visits the AWI Wadden Sea Station
26. January 2026On 23 January, Member of the German Bundestag (MdB) Leif Erik Bodin visited the AWI site on Sylt. He was welcomed by Maarten Boersma, Kerstin Mölter and Sabine Horn, before being given a tour of the institute that offered insights into the research activities conducted at the site. The visit concluded with an exchange on current topics.