Polar research in focus

Part of the University of Gothenburg’s Skagerak Facility, R/V Skagerak is a 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 within the Skagerak Facility for Swedish and international Arctic research. Its expeditions explore regions where cold, dense water masses form and flow southward – processes that are crucial to global ocean circulation. At the same time, researchers investigate plankton, microbes, and biogeochemical conditions to understand how Arctic marine ecosystems are responding to a warming climate.

Photo: University of Gothenburg

Fieldwork at the frontier of climate science

This page brings together the Arctic and sub-Arctic expeditions carried out aboard R/V Skagerak – from the East Greenland shelf to the transition zone between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic. They provide new insights into how the ocean, climate, and life in the polar regions are connected.