Focus: Polar Research

R/V Skagerak is the University of Gothenburg’s modern research vessel, equipped to operate in some of the world’s most remote and climate-sensitive marine regions. From its deck, scientists conduct cutting-edge polar research that deepens our understanding of how the Arctic is changing – and what those changes mean for the planet as a whole.

In recent years, R/V Skagerak has become an increasingly active platform for Swedish and international Arctic research. Her expeditions explore areas where cold, dense water masses form and flow southward – processes that play a crucial role in the global ocean circulation. At the same time, researchers study plankton, microbes, and biogeochemical conditions to assess how Arctic marine ecosystems are responding to a rapidly warming climate.