RV Polarstern, DE

Vessel is owned by the German government represented by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, who entrusts the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz centre for polar and marine research with utilizing it for German polar research.

Contact

SCHIFFSKOORD[at]AWI.DE

Location

Homeport: Bremerhaven

Website

https://www.awi.de/en/expedition/research-vessel-and-cutter/polarstern.html
https://spaces.awi.de/display/EFPW/Polarstern+-+Wiki

Facilities

PRV Polarstern is a double-hulled icebreaker operational at temperatures as low as -50 °C. The ship is able to sail through 2 m thick ice with a speed of 5 knots, and it breaks ice up to 3 m thickness. The ship contains nine research laboratories for biological, geological, geophysical, glaciological, chemical, oceanographic and meteorological research. Additional laboratory containers may be stored on and below deck. Refrigerated rooms and aquaria permit the transport of samples and living marine fauna.

POLARSTERN, operated by the Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und�Meeresforschung, is an ice going research and supply vessel. The main operation areas are the icecovered seas of the northern and southern polar regions. The ship provides ideal working conditions for almost all disciplines of marine sciences, atmospheric and glaciological research. It can break ice up to 2m continuously and can operate up to 90 days at sea. POLARSTERN is therefore ideally suited for often long expeditions to remote polar regions. POLARSTERN regularly supplies the Antarctic research stations, especially the Neumayer Station III and the Kohnen Station (Alfred-Wegener-InstitutHelmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 2016a).In the last 35 years POLARSTERN was in average 310 days per year at sea, she is the major research tool of the German polar research programme.

Availability for access

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Time frame for access preparation

Time frame to receive the documentation from RI users (after access is granted): Seasonal Coordination Meeting: At this meeting, the ship coordination discusses together with the applicants of main user proposals, with approx. 1 – 2 years’ foresight for each Arctic or Antarctic season, to what extent approved applications can be implemented, also in combination with existing secondary user requirements. https://spaces.awi.de/display/EFPW/Planning+meetings
Time frame for logistic arrangements to access the RI:
About 7-6 month before the expedition starts a planning meeting will be held by the chief scientist of the expedition with focus on logistical requirements. https://spaces.awi.de/display/EFPW/Planning+meetings.

Permits, licenses and training

Researchers must familiarise themselves with applicable regulations and obtain all relevant permits from the relevant authorities. Examples are: permits for work in other countries EEZs, permits for seismic work, permits for certain sea floor disturbing activities, or experiments on living animals.

Medical guidelines

A medical examination according to Awi reqiurements must be passed. https://spaces.awi.de/display/EFPW/Medical+Examination.