The sound of heavy boots: summer season begins at Poland’s Arctowski Station

For the overwintering crew, who have maintained the station through months of isolation and sub-zero conditions, the ship’s arrival meant only one thing – the end of silence and the beginning of an intense operational rush. As one of the team members wrote in the station’s log, “The arrival of new people, equipment and noise is a real armageddon – loud conversations, heavy machinery, movement everywhere.”

Noosfera – a key partner in polar logistics

The Noosfera is well known among the global polar community. Operated by Ukraine’s National Antarctic Scientific Center, the vessel regularly serves southern research stations. For Poland, it has become one of the most important logistics partners in recent years, enabling the delivery of cargo, fuel, and personnel to King George Island – home to the Arctowski Station.

Each voyage from Cape Town to the South Shetland Islands takes around two weeks and marks the start of the summer research season, when scientific and technical activity on the station reaches its peak.

Polish Academy of Sciences – at sea and in ice

Poland’s presence in Antarctica dates back to 1977, when the Polish Academy of Sciences established the Arctowski Station, named after renowned polar explorer and oceanographer Henryk Arctowski. Since then, the facility has operated continuously, symbolizing Poland’s long-term commitment to polar and marine science.

Research at Arctowski focuses on oceanography, marine biology, geology, and climate change, contributing vital data to global polar observation systems.

Beyond Antarctica, the Polish Academy of Sciences conducts a broad range of marine research through institutions such as the Institute of Oceanology PAN in Sopot and the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAN in Warsaw, cooperating with the Polish Navy, maritime offices, and European research networks including EUROFLEETS+ and INTERACT.

New summer, new crew, same mission

Every Antarctic summer brings new people and new goals – from wildlife monitoring and ocean current studies to climate and atmospheric research. The arrival of the Noosfera marks the start of a demanding operational period: cargo unloading, equipment setup, and handover of duties between the outgoing and incoming expedition teams.

As one message from the polar base summed it up:

- We’ve got only a few days before another giant shipment arrives. Keep your fingers crossed – hard work ahead, but it’s the kind we love.

Poland’s maritime footprint in Antarctica

Although more than 14,000 kilometers separate Warsaw from King George Island, the work conducted at Arctowski Station remains deeply tied to Poland’s maritime economy and oceanographic research.

Data collected by the station’s scientists helps to understand global ocean processes, sea-level changes, and environmental dynamics in polar waters.