Arctic Aur-Orca
by Alex - 26th December 2022
It is definitely the best snorkelling experience in Europe, and it is probably the best underwater experience too. Each winter,…
Nestled in the seventh continent – Iceberg diving in the Antarctic
by Gerald - 17th December 2019
Being in the Antarctic has always been my dream. In an unforeseen way, it has now come true. As a…
Love to swim with orcas? 12 reasons to go Arctic liveaboard diving now!
by LiveAboard - 5th November 2019
The Arctic has long been known for its outstanding wildlife watching and dramatic landscapes. It offers numerous diving opportunities, but…
Increasing nutrient input has implications for food webs in the Arctic Ocean
by Herbert - 13th February 2018
Scientists find surprising evidence of rapid changes in the Arctic Scientists have found surprising evidence of rapid Arctic climate change:…
Greenpeace travels to unexplored parts of the Antarctic
by Herbert - 19th January 2018
Expedition to provide further arguments for the world's largest marine protected area Greenpeace will explore previously barely known regions in…
Increase in melting sea ice may lead to higher food supply in Arctic
by Herbert - 26th September 2017
In the Arctic, melt ponds are formed every year when snow and sea ice melt at the end of winter.…
Arctic: AWI underwater robot Tramper successfully recovered
by Herbert - 31st August 2017
Almost 60 weeks of measurements of oxygen content at the bottom of the deep sea obtained On 27 August 2017,…
Underwater robot “TRAMPER” to surface after a year in the Arctic deep sea
by Herbert - 22nd August 2017
Helmholtz Alliance ROBEX tested innovative technologies on expedition On Tuesday, August 22nd, the research vessel Polarstern will set off on…
Temperatures in Arctic archipelago may soon rise beyond freezing point
by Mares - 10th July 2017
Scientist predict that the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard may experience above-freezing temperatures for the first time on record, as a…
Glacial retreat accelerated by meltwater lakes under Antarctic Ice Sheet
by Herbert - 4th July 2017
During the last glacial period, the ice in the Antarctic was thicker and extended farther offshore than it does today.…
Why do krill stocks in Antarctica fluctuate?
by Herbert - 9th June 2017
Climatic influences not as important as previously thought Although just six centimeters long, the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) plays an…
Marvels of the Arctic
by Herbert - 9th May 2017
Undertaking a cool journey of discovery Water temperatures of minus 3°C. It is so cold here that using salt to…
Growing problem of litter in the Arctic depths
by Herbert - 16th February 2017
Sea ice may be responsible for transporting plastic wasteThe Arctic has a garbage problem. In just a decade, the amount…
Studying the effects of coastal erosion in the Arctic
by Mares - 18th January 2017
The thawing and erosion of the arctic permafrost coasts has increased so drastically in the past that more than 20…
West Antarctica experiences accelerated glacier melting
by Mares - 13th December 2016
Research will lead to better predictions about rising sea levelsThe fastest ongoing rates of glacier retreat ever recorded have been…
World’s largest marine protected area established in Antarctica
by Herbert - 28th October 2016
Just off the southern coast of Antarctica is the Ross Sea, where the largest marine protected area (MPA) will be…
Arctic sea ice at its second-lowest ever this September
by Mares - 16th September 2016
In September 2016, the surface of the Arctic sea ice shrank to nearly 4.1 million square kilometres – the second…
Enhancing the analysis of climatic changes in the Arctic
by Mares - 16th June 2016
Scientists head northwards with new autonomous instruments On 13 June 2016, a team of scientists set off to Spitsbergen on…
This year’s decline of Arctic sea ice may be as bad as the record low of 2012
by Mares - 19th May 2016
At the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), sea ice physicists have predicted that the…
Defining research priorities for the Arctic
by Mares - 29th February 2016
The major international Arctic research organisations, with the involvement of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, have come up with…
How stable is the West Antarctic Ice Sheet?
by Mares - 12th February 2016
Exceeding critical temperature values can lead to collapse of the ice sheet and strong rise in sea level A future…
Researchers measure platelet ice beneath Antarctic sea ice
by Mares - 8th February 2016
For the first time, sea ice physicists at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) have developed a new method of efficiently…
Melosira Arctica named algae species of 2016
by Mares - 19th January 2016
Researchers have named the Melosira arctica, one of the major algae species in the Arctic Ocean, as Algae of the…
Arctic sea ice plays essential role in methane cycle
by Mares - 8th December 2015
Study uncovers link between seasonal melting of sea ice and release of methane gas The ice-covered Arctic Ocean plays a…
Billions of juvenile polar cod under Arctic sea ice
by Mares - 14th October 2015
With a newly developed netting gear, marine scientists at the Alfred Wegener Institute managed to catch a large number of…
Arctic Day of Action: An Exhibition By Greenpeace
by Mares - 6th August 2015
Beluga II in Stralsund A small exhibition about the Arctic will be held from 10th to 14th August 2015 on…
Arctic Oil Drilling Suspended
by Mares - 30th July 2015
Shell's Icebreaker Cancels Plans To Leave Port The Royal Dutch Shell icebreaker Fennica has cancelled its plans to leave the…
Arctic Ocean: Reduced Amount Of Ice
by Mares - 17th July 2015
Commercial Fishing Ban Implemented In The Arctic Over the years, climate change has reduced the amount of ice in the…
Meet the Marvelous Brittle Stars: The Underwater Gymnasts of the Echinoderm Family!
by Ivana and Janez - 20th November 2024
Brittle stars belong to the class Ophiuroidea within the phylum Echinodermata, which also includes sea stars, sea urchins and sea…
Leatherback sea turtles
by Franco and Sabrina - 18th January 2024
A leatherback turtle swimming gracefully through the open ocean is arguably one of the most majestic sights in the natural…
Land of Ice and Fire
by Alex - 6th July 2023
I've been to Iceland 5 times before, but it was almost 15 years since my last visit, and in a…
Pinnipeds – Marine Acrobats
by Ivana and Janez - 13th July 2022
Pinnipeds, commonly known as seals, are a group of semi-aquatic carnivorous mammals of 34 species living across the world’s oceans.…
Whale Memories
by Dan - 19th August 2021
About this time every year, humpback whales travel from Antarctica to the warm waters of the Pacific to calve. Sadly,…
Hello! Meet Mares Ambassador Alex Mustard
by Alex - 20th July 2021
Hi! I’m Alex and I’m new to the Mares team. Of course, I’m not new to diving, or to Mares…
The largest animals ever to have lived on Earth!
by Franco and Sabrina - 17th December 2020
The southern coast of Sri Lanka may turn out to be one of the best international hotspots for seeing blue…
Greenland on the Rocks
by Franco and Sabrina - 6th June 2019
I had dived under ice platforms in the chilly, cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic several times before diving…
The Islands Of Tahiti: A Whale’s Paradise
by Dan - 6th May 2019
When someone mentions Tahiti, incredible sunsets and sipping cocktails whilst relaxing on over water bungalows comes to mind. Located in…
Narwhals show alarming reactions to stress
by Herbert - 21st December 2017
Human disturbances cause narwhals to freeze and escape simultaneously New insights into the effects of ocean noise and increased human…
Seawater cools upper layers of earth’s crust
by Herbert - 29th November 2017
Seawater penetrates much deeper than expected How deep can seawater penetrate through cracks and fissures into the seafloor? Using a…
EU project Nunataryuk investigates effects of permafrost thaw
by Herbert - 27th November 2017
Fragile Arctic environment threatened by retreating permafrost Permafrost makes up a quarter of the land mass in the Northern Hemisphere.…
Where None Have Gone Before!
by David - 8th September 2017
It's not every day that you get to dive a new site which is not only new for you, but…
Copepods rise and shine to internal genetic clocks
by Herbert - 7th August 2017
The Calanus finmarchicus is a copepod that packs a big punch. Although just two to four millimetres, this zooplankton’s genetic…
Humpback whale calves whisper to keep safe
by Herbert - 27th April 2017
Vocalisations may be used to help mother and calf stay togetherTo avoid detection by killer whales, newborn humpback whales whisper…
Japan kills 333 whales in annual hunt
by Herbert - 1st April 2017
Whales supposedly killed for "research" purposes After four months at sea, the Japanese whaling fleet has returned from its controversial…
Post-trip review 2 – Dive wear
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 31st March 2017
On our expedition to Lake Baikal, the XR Kevlar Dry Suit was indispensable, and ours went through at least 10…
Litter in the sea: New portal offers comprehensive coverage
by Herbert - 29th March 2017
New online portal LITTERBASE compiles all data in one location Where is litter at sea and which species and habitats…
Day 6 – Earthquake underwater?
by MARES / SSI / rEvo Dive Expedition Team - 19th February 2017
Do you remember? Yesterday’s dive spot was great. So nice that we decided to go to the north tip of Olkohn, Kohboy,…
Sounds of the ocean
by Herbert - 2nd February 2017
Findings on background sounds in Southern Ocean published For nearly three years, using underwater recording devices, scientists have been listening…