Cook Ice Ecosystems and Sediments (COOKIES)

Voyage Number

IN2026_V01

Voyage Dates

02 Jan, 2026 to 26 Feb, 2026

Voyage Location

Hobart to Hobart

Chief Scientist

Dr Linda Armbrecht

Institution

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (University of Tasmania)

View the full voyage

Voyage summary

RV Investigator will undertake a 56-day research voyage to Antarctica to study the Cook Ice Shelf marine region, a globally significant but little studied region in East Antarctica.

Modelling suggests that the Cook Ice Shelf is especially vulnerable to climate change, with a projected considerable ice mass loss (-14 Gt per year) over the next 200 years. Yet, there is a complete lack of oceanographic, bathymetric, biological and palaeo-data from this region. 

On this voyage, a multinational research team will investigate the region’s ice-sheet stability and ocean evolution, and their impact on marine ecosystem functionality over the last 1 million years. Researchers will use a range of coring systems deployed from RV Investigator to collect sediment samples from the seafloor to look back in time at previous climate cycles and marine biodiversity. They will also collect water samples and data from the Southern Ocean to assess present-day oceanographic conditions and marine biodiversity. These biodiversity surveys will be supplemented by specimen collection and underwater camera surveys to increase understanding of unique Antarctic seafloor ecosystems and species.

A suite of genetic tools will then be used to assess modern and past biodiversity which, combined with productivity and associated carbon export estimates, will benefit Antarctic ecosystem monitoring efforts and help predict how climate change will impact the region in the future. 

Voyage research outcomes will provide crucial scientific baselines as well as inform international scientific planning for the management and conservation of Antarctica, including the Australian Antarctic Territory.

There are 3 other projects on the voyage:

• Deployment of Argo floats, including Australian core, deep and BGC (CSIRO, UTAS, OGS): five Argo floats will be deployed for various national and international programs.
• Heat flow in the Cook Glacier region (Prof Jo Whittaker, IMAS): measurement of the geothermal heat flux in the marine area offshore from the Cook Glacier.
• Developing Jonathan - on-vessel automated seabird detector (Carlie Devine and Dr Rich Little, CSIRO): collecting seabird counts using an automatic on-vessel seabird detector.

This voyage has 37 science participants from 13 institutions, including international participants from the UK, USA, Norway and Italy, plus 21 ship crew from Cyan Renewables.

The voyage is being led by Chief Scientist Dr Linda Armbrecht from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).

Voyage outcomes

As a result of this voyage, scientists have new, fundamental data on bathymetry, oceanography, biodiversity and productivity in the Cook Ice Shelf marine region. The Cook Ice Shelf is part of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, the most vulnerable region to climate change in East Antarctica. Voyage data will inform ice sheet models for understanding sea level impacts on Australia and globally, and improve Antarctic ecosystem management. 

The research has provided new insights into the seafloor life and ecosystems of East Antarctica, and found that some species inhabited much deeper water depths (>3,000 metres) than previously assumed. Significantly, the voyage delivered the first biodiversity survey in the Dibble Glacier region, identifying potential glacial refugia sites and allowing investigations into Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems.

On 2 March 2026, voyage researchers provided a public presentation on the voyage achievements and outcomes at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Hobart. This presentation can be viewed below.