After a year of preparing the ship and crew, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too) has completed its first science expedition to Antarctica.
The three-week expedition, which ended in early January, has a broad science scope and required operational refinements to navigate safely in unfamiliar environmental conditions.
"Falkor (too) performed exceptionally well, our crew gained a tremendous knowledge and experience, and the expedition prepared us well for future explorations around this part of the global ocean in the coming decade," said Eric King, Schmidt's Senior Director of Maritime Infrastructure.
Falkor (too) is a certified Class C polar vessel, which means it is capable of operating in austral summer when there is light sea ice, also known as first-year ice. The ship received its polar certification from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in October 2024 and was operationally supported by Expeditions, Yachts, Operations and Support Services (EYOS), a polar expedition organisation.
EYOS aided in mission planning and permitting among others. Two ice pilots also joined the expedition to ensure the vessel safely manoeuvred around icebergs.
The scientific operations included eight dives to depths as great as 3,918 metres using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian to assess biodiversity and explore vents and seafloor mapping. Ice pilots and crew transported scientists via small boats to places like Joinville Island, off the northeastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, for marine mammal and sea bird research.
The ship’s satellite systems also live-streamed ROV dives, connecting the global population with the Antarctic seafloor. The rare sights included icefish guarding their eggs, cold Antarctic seep environments characterised by bacteria feeding on chemical energy, and dense sponge and kelp outcrops in frigid minus one degree Celsius water.
The inaugural expedition to Antarctica called “Into the Southern Ocean” was a collaboration between Schmidt Ocean Institute and National Geographic Society.
As part of the society’s Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions, a multidisciplinary cohort of National Geographic Explorers conducted a comprehensive scientific examination – from sea ice to sea floor – of this critically important yet understudied marine ecosystem to advance conservation solutions in the Southern Ocean.
After one more Antarctica expedition in early 2025, Falkor (too) will spend the next four years primarily supporting research in the South Atlantic Ocean.