SALT AND WATER

Meter by meter, the research icebreaker Polarstern bites its way through the massive ice of East Antarctica. On board are the ship's crew and scientists who are carrying out their work here in this almost unreal world of Antarctica. They are investigating the future of the mighty Antarctic Circumpolar Current. If global warming causes it to shift southwards, it will bring warm water to the coast of East Antarctica. If East Antarctica melts completely, this would result in a global sea level rise of up to 52 metres.

This involves working in shifts to collect water and seabed samples and setting up a land camp in the harsh environment of the Antarctic continent. What motivates these people to work so intensively in such extreme conditions?

As a society, we take it for granted that scientific data from the polar regions is available for climate research. With her personal perspective, filmmaker Ines Reinisch, aboard the research icebreaker Polarstern, provides an understanding of what an expedition really means: a high degree of personal commitment, patience, courage, sacrifice and a strong awareness of the responsibility that rests on the ship's crew and the scientific community.

The legendary research icebreaker Polarstern is the flagship of the Alfred-Wegener-Instituts and thus of German polar research.