Taking to the highsea with a young research spirit

On board the Polarstern research vessel, an international group of young scientists will immerse in the fascinating world of marine research. They are not only learning the basic methods of oceanography, but also the difficult art of communicating science in a comprehensible and inspiring manner. For the fifth time now, the Alfred Wegener Institute is organising this extraordinary training programme with a host of partners. This year once again under the direction of Professor Karen Wiltshire (now at Trinity College in Dublin), the participants benefit from a unique opportunity to experience research, international cooperation and scientific adventure first-hand. For the first time, new dedicated training is also being provided for young up-coming ocean teachers. This means that the fascination of marine research can reach even more young people in the future.

In the context of the current UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development – “The Science We Need for the Ocean We Want” (https://www.oceandecade.org/) – the research vessel Polarstern is providing an international educational platform for young scientists (master's and doctoral students). All the relevant techniques of oceanographic, meteorological and climatic observation and analysis will be taught. Moreover, the expedition also contributes to the United Nations' sustainability goals. The participants in the one-month floating summer school will bring the knowledge they have acquired back to their home countries and pass it on, thereby promoting climate research and protection expert capacities there.

Well over 3,000 interested persons applied to take part in this North-South Atlantic Transit mission with the Polarstern, or NoSoAT for short. Twenty-five people were accepted and were supported by scholarships from the international organisation Partnership for the Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) and the Japanese Nippon Foundation. The training team is international, with expedition participants hailing from a total of 37 institutions. These nationalities are represented: Algeria, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cape Verde, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia and Spain.

Before the group boards ship on 13 November 2025, a preparatory workshop was held at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven. Here, the expedition participants got to know each other and were provided with an overview of the ship, the research and training programme.

The dance of carbon cycles – science in motion
Headed by Prof. Karen Wiltshire and her colleague Prof. Laurence Gill from Trinity College Dublin, the expedition team is engaging in an extraordinary project: The Dance of the Carbon Cycles – A Climate Story Through Folk Dance. Initiated by Laurence Gill, the project combines science, music and traditional dance to create an impressive artistic interpretation of global climate processes. “The Dance of the Carbon Cycles invites us to experience climate change with all our senses – through motion, sound and collaborative creation,” as Karen Wiltshire explains. The participants first learn the dance in Bremerhaven, and will rehearse it on board the Polarstern and finally dance it with colleagues in Walvis Bay (Namibia). In this way, they become ambassadors who carry the dance and its message back to their home countries – as a symbol of an advancing international network that is raising the awareness of climate change.

The scientific principles of the carbon cycle play a big role in climate science, as the scholarship holders complete different modules in five small groups. The participants learn basics of the ocean and atmosphere function, modelling, oceanography, observation methods and sampling at sea, as well as science communication and philosophy. Collaboration activities while at sea involving various schools and educational institutions in six countries, allow the expedition participants to share their experiences directly with school classes and students, thereby learning how to impart knowledge. A new aspect this year is the training of young instructors enabling them to lead similar programmes such as the floating summer school in the future. They will present their experiences and measurement results at the final workshop held on 13 December at the port of arrival, Walvis Bay, to Namibian colleagues and friends as will the scholarship holders. This workshop also serves to network with the University of Namibia in order to expand cooperation in climate research and communication over the long term.

Setting sail from Walvis Bay in mid-December, the Polarstern will embark on two expeditions, each lasting around two months, to the Antarctic Weddell Sea, where it will also supply the Alfred Wegener Institute's Neumayer Station III. A training voyage will also take place on the return transit across the Atlantic before the vessel is expected back at its home port of Bremerhaven in May 2026.

Partners involved in the Polarstern expedition PS151
•          Partnership for the Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO)
•          Nippon Foundation, Japan
•          Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
•          Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
•          University of Galway, Ireland
•          Met Éireann, Ireland
•          University of Bremen
•          Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh
•          University of Göttingen