UK polar ship RRS Sir David Attenborough prepares for Antarctica trip

The UK polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough is preparing for its upcoming expedition to Antarctica next week.The vessel, named after the famed naturalist, features advanced polar technology for scientific research and logistics, according to Peter Davis of the British Antarctic Survey. 

. Peter Davis, Physical oceanographer, British Antarctic Survey said  "This vessel is really at the cutting edge of polar technology. It brings together a lot of technologies together into one place that really allow us to get out into Antarctica, to get out into the oceans, to understand all those processes that are driving change in the region. But also, it has this logistics role as well of bringing in all the equipment that we need alongside the science."

The crew will study climate change impacts, marine ecosystems, and the recovery of whale populations using drones and biological sampling. The ship also supports research across the UK’s 14 overseas territories, which host 90% of the nation’s biodiversity. International collaboration is highlighted, with countries like South Korea increasing scientific efforts in Antarctica while some established nations scale back. The vessel will later return to the Arctic for further research, maintaining year-round polar scientific operations.