After 60 Years Of Science, Last US Research Ship Leaves Antarctic Waters - Permanently; Potential Replacement Years Away
Alison Murray and her colleagues were all set to dive in Antarctica. They’d gotten a grant to build on their earlier finding that sea squirts — sponge-like invertebrates on the seafloor — host a microbe that produces a molecule that could be used to fight cancer. Then Murray’s team got word that the U.S. government was pulling its only research ship out of Antarctica.
The U.S. Antarctic Program has had at least one dedicated research vessel in the Southern Ocean for almost six decades — mapping currents, tracking melt under ice shelves, studying marine food webs and more. But the National Science Foundation said in its 2026 budget request that it would be terminating the lease of the Nathaniel B. Palmer icebreaker. The ship returned to Louisiana last month without a replacement lined up.
Scientists who spoke to The Washington Post said the loss of the icebreaker hinders their work, takes away important field opportunities for young scientists and diminishes America’s leading presence on the continent. The NSF said it would continue to support all marine cruise projects, like Murray’s, for the upcoming field season, as well as the three U.S. research stations in Antarctica. “We remain committed to enabling world-leading scientific research in Antarctica and are actively reviewing potential vessels and partnerships,” said NSF spokesperson Cassandra Eichner. But the agency said development of a new vessel had been paused, with further assessment to come in Fiscal Year 2026.
Scientists who spoke to The Post estimated that a new vessel could take years to build — even longer if the work remains paused for an extended period. In the interim, while in some cases it may be possible for U.S. researchers to get spots on other boats, the overall number of researchers able to explore the frozen continent could be reduced.
EDIT
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/12/11/antarctica-research-ship-nathaniel-palmer/
https://wapo.st/4rRFfru