Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Polar Research Vessels and Polar Code Regimes glossary

Vocabulary of polar shipping and science: the Polar Code survival-time and abandonment requirements, national polar institutes such as AARI and the Australian Antarctic Division, named research and supply vessels like Nuyina, Polarstern and Sir David Attenborough, Antarctic stations, and the ice-navigation instrumentation fitted to vessels operating in high-latitude waters.

285 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

AAD: Australian Antarctic Division, part of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, headquartered in Kingston, Tasmania, operates RSV Nuyina.
AARI: Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St Petersburg; Russian national ice service producing Arctic ice charts and forecasts.
Abandonment Time: Polar Code minimum survival time of at least 5 days for personal and group survival equipment after abandonment in polar waters.
Aboa: Finnish Antarctic summer-only station in Queen Maud Land, shares logistics with the Swedish Wasa station.
Acoustic Doppler current profiler: Hull mounted instrument used during wind farm site surveys to measure water column current profiles for vessel approach planning.
Adelaide Island: Antarctic Peninsula island hosting BAS Rothera Research Station, served by RRS Sir David Attenborough.
Admiralty Manual of Navigation: UK Hydrographic Office reference required on British polar vessels alongside the Polar Water Operational Manual.
AIRSS: Arctic Ice Regime Shipping System, Transport Canada's risk methodology for ice navigation in Canadian Arctic waters.
Akademik Fedorov: AARI Arc7 expedition flagship built 1987, supports Vostok and Mirny resupply, gross tonnage about 16,200.
Akademik Keldysh: RV Akademik Mstislav Keldysh, Shirshov Institute research vessel mother ship of Mir-1 and Mir-2 submersibles.
Akademik Lomonosov: World's first operational floating nuclear power plant, two KLT-40S reactors, commissioned at Pevek, Chukotka 2020.
Akademik Tryoshnikov: AARI Arc7 polar research vessel delivered 2012 by Admiralty Shipyards, 13,830 GT.
Aleksey Maryshev: Russian Arctic supply vessel of the Murmansk Shipping Company class, used historically for Spitsbergen logistics.
Alfred Wegener Institute: AWI, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, operates Polarstern and Neumayer III station.
Almirante Irizar: ARA Almirante Irizar, Argentine Navy Polar Class PC3 icebreaker rebuilt 2017 after 2007 fire, operates Argentine Antarctic stations.
Amery Ice Shelf: Third-largest Antarctic ice shelf, drains 16 percent of East Antarctic ice, surveyed by RSV Nuyina.
Amundsen: Vox Amundsen, Van Oord TSHD of 19,500 m3 capacity delivered 2017.
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station: USAP year-round station at 90 degrees South, resupplied via LC-130 from McMurdo.
Antarctic Circle: 66 degrees 33 minutes South, southern boundary of Polar Code Antarctic waters.
Antarctic Convergence: Frontal zone where cold Antarctic surface water meets warmer subantarctic water.
Antarctic Specially Protected Area: ASPA designation under Annex V of the Madrid Protocol requiring a permit and management plan for entry.
Antarctic Treaty (1959): International agreement reserving Antarctica for peaceful and scientific use; entered into force 1961.
Antarctica New Zealand: Crown entity operating Scott Base on Ross Island, contracts ice-strengthened tonnage seasonally.
Arc4: Russian Maritime Register of Shipping ice category, light first-year ice, Polar Class broadly equivalent to PC7.
Arc5: RS ice category, medium first-year ice, broadly equivalent to PC6 range.
Arc6: RS ice category, heavy first-year ice, broadly equivalent to PC5 range.
Arc7: RS ice category, year-round in first-year ice, broadly equivalent to PC4 range.
Arc8: RS ice category for heavier multi-year incursions, broadly equivalent to PC3 range.
Arc9: RS highest non-icebreaker ice category, broadly equivalent to PC2 range.
Arctic Council: Intergovernmental forum of eight Arctic states established by the 1996 Ottawa Declaration.
ArcticNet: Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence funding Arctic research aboard CCGS Amundsen.
Arktika 22220: Russian LK-60Ya class nuclear icebreaker series, lead ship Arktika commissioned 21 October 2020, two RITM-200 reactors.
ATCM: Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, annual decision-making forum among 29 Consultative Parties.
Australian Antarctic Strategy 2016-2026: Federal policy framing AAD operations including Nuyina procurement.

B

Babcock: Babcock International, UK contractor managing BAS shipping logistics and Rothera wharf upgrade.
Ballast Water: Subject of the BWM Convention, separate from MARPOL.
BAS: Berth Allocation System for scheduling vessels to berths.
Beaufort Gyre: Anticyclonic Arctic Ocean circulation north of Alaska, surveyed by USCGC Healy science cruises.
Beaufort Sea: Arctic sea north of Alaska and northwestern Canada, heavy multi-year ice region.
Bellingshausen Station: Russian Antarctic Treaty station on King George Island, supported by Akademik Fedorov.
Bergy bit: Piece of glacier ice between 1 and 5 m above sea level and 100 to 300 sq m in area.
Bering Strait: Narrow passage connecting the Pacific and the Arctic Ocean between Russia and Alaska.
Bharati: Indian Antarctic research station commissioned 2012 in the Larsemann Hills, supported by chartered Russian tonnage.
Bird Island: BAS research station on South Georgia, accessed by RRS Sir David Attenborough.
Bow Form: Polar Code requires demonstration that the bow can break design ice thickness, IACS UR I2 governs PC vessels.
Bow thruster: Transverse-tunnel thruster forward for low-speed maneuvering.
Bremerhaven: German port and industrial cluster supporting offshore wind logistics and increasingly green hydrogen demonstrators.
Bridge Wing Console: Auxiliary control position on each bridge wing providing maneuvering controls for berthing operations.
British Antarctic Territory: UK Overseas Territory south of 60 South between 20 and 80 West, claimed 1908.
Brunt Ice Shelf: Antarctic ice shelf monitored for calving.
Bunkering Restriction: MARPOL Annex I Regulation 43 bans use or carriage of heavy fuel oil in Antarctic waters since 1 August 2011.

C

Casey Station: Australian year-round Antarctic station in the Vestfold Hills, supplied by Nuyina.
CCAMLR: Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.
CCG: Canadian Coast Guard, responsible for intervention and wreck management in Canadian waters.
CCGS Henry Larsen: Canadian Coast Guard medium icebreaker commissioned in 1988, homeported at St. John's, Newfoundland.
CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent: Canadian Coast Guard heavy icebreaker commissioned in 1969 and extensively refit in 1993, flagship of the Canadian icebreaker fleet.
CCGS Terry Fox: Canadian Coast Guard heavy icebreaker built in 1983, acquired from Gulf Canada in 1991.
CDEM: Construction, Design, Equipment and Manning standards, the typical scope of flag-state rules.
Christophe de Margerie: Arc7 ice-class LNG carrier whose movements in the Russian Arctic frequently require icebreaking tug escort.
Chukchi Sea: Marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean north of the Bering Strait.
Chukotka: Russian Far East autonomous region bordering the Bering Strait visited on Arctic expedition itineraries before 2022 sanctions.
Cold-Resistant Steel: Polar Code requires hull steel grade selected for Polar Service Temperature, IACS UR S6 governs.
Communication Coverage: Polar Code mandates two-way voice and data over 70 degrees latitude, typically via Iridium since GMDSS Sea Area A4 lacks geostationary cover.
Concordia Station: French-Italian joint year-round station at Dome C, 3233 meters elevation, supplied via Mario Zucchelli traverses.
Convergent Ice: Pressure ice formation triggered by wind or current, addressed in PWOM contingency procedures.
Crew Familiarization: Onboard induction including security duties per ISPS.
CTD Rosette: Standard hydrographic instrument package on every polar research vessel for conductivity, temperature, and depth profiling.

D

Damage Stability: Required for passenger and cargo ships under SOLAS II-1, Parts B-1 and B-2.
Davis Station: Australian year-round Antarctic station in the Vestfold Hills, supplied by RSV Nuyina.
De-icing: Polar Code requires means to remove and prevent ice on superstructure, walkways and lifesaving equipment.
Diesel-electric propulsion: Multiple gensets feeding propulsion motors via main bus.
DNV Polar 10: Det Norske Veritas ice class roughly equivalent to PC2 in IACS table.
DNV Polar 20: DNV ice class roughly equivalent to PC1 for year-round all-Arctic operation.
Double Acting Tanker: DAT concept proven by Norilsk Nickel Arc7 cargo ships built 2006-2009 by Aker Yards.
DROMLAN: Dronning Maud Land Air Network, multinational intra-continental airlift consortium.
Dronning Maud Land: Queen Maud Land in English, Norwegian Antarctic claim sector hosting Troll station.
DSME: Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (now Hanwha Ocean), historical builder of Q-Flex and Q-Max series.

E

Eduard Toll: Yamalmax Arc7 LNG carrier delivered 2018, named for the Russian Arctic explorer.
EEDI: Energy Efficiency Design Index, MARPOL Annex VI Chapter 4.
Emergency Source of Power: Polar Code Part I-A Chapter 6 requires extended fuel reserves for emergency generator.
Endurance22: 2022 Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust expedition that located Shackleton's Endurance using SA Agulhas II.
EPIRB: Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon required under SOLAS IV/7.
Esperanza Base: Argentine Antarctic year-round station, Hope Bay, site of first child born south of 60 South.

F

Fast Ice: Sea ice frozen to the shore.
Fennica: Finnish multipurpose icebreaker built 1993 by Finnyards, operated by Arctia Shipping.
Finnish-Swedish Ice Class: Baltic ice class system established under 1985 rules using IA Super, IA, IB, and IC notations.
Finnish-Swedish Ice Class 1A: Roughly 0.8 m level ice, most common Baltic winter trading class.
Finnish-Swedish Ice Class 1A Super: Highest Baltic class, roughly 1.0 m level ice, applies to escorted Baltic shuttles.
Finnish-Swedish Ice Class 1B: Approximately 0.6 m level ice, summer Baltic winter trading.
Finnish-Swedish Ice Class 1C: Approximately 0.4 m level ice, lowest Baltic icebreaker fairway due reduction.
Floating Nuclear Power Plant: Concept proven by Akademik Lomonosov powering Pevek Chukotka grid since 2020.
Fram: Polar exploration ship of Nansen and later Amundsen, launched 1892.
French Southern and Antarctic Lands: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises, TAAF, administers Adelie Land.

G

Gakkel Ridge: Ultraslow Arctic mid-ocean ridge, surveyed by Polarstern Healy 2007 expedition.
GMDSS Sea Area A4: Polar regions outside satellite coverage where HF radio is the primary GMDSS bearer.
GOST: Russian state standards system, governs Russian Maritime Register class additions.
Gould: RV Laurence M. Gould, ECO-leased USAP Antarctic Peninsula research and supply vessel since 1997.

H

Halley VI: BAS modular Antarctic research station, eight modules on hydraulic skis, opened 2013.
Healy: USCGC Healy WAGB-20, US Coast Guard medium icebreaker commissioned on 21 August 2000, homeported at Seattle.
HFO Ban: MARPOL Annex I Regulation 43 bans HFO in Antarctic waters since 2011, extended to Arctic waters from 1 July 2024 with derogations to 2029.
High-Latitude Operation: Polar Code defined as operation above 60 degrees South or in Arctic waters delineated in MARPOL.
Hobart: Capital of Tasmania, finish port of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

I

IAATO: International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, founded 1991; self-regulates Antarctic tourism.
IACS: International Association of Classification Societies, 12 members.
IBRV: Ice-Breaking Research Vessel, hull notation applied to Sir David Attenborough and Nuyina.
Ice accretion: Build-up of ice on exposed surfaces from spray or precipitation; Polar Code requires removal means.
Ice Class: Hull classification for ships operating in ice.
Ice Knife: Stern structural plate protecting rudder and propeller from astern ice impact, PC2 standard fitting.
Ice Multiplier: Engine and propeller margin factor used in IACS UR I3 calculations for ice torque.
Ice navigator: STCW V/3 trained officer with advanced training; provides ice navigation watchkeeping.
Ice Regime: Combination of ice types present in a defined area at a given time, foundation of POLARIS.
Ice routing: Selection of route through or around ice to minimize risk and time.
Ice Strengthened: Generic term for hull above unstrengthened steel, no IMO definition.
Ice Stress Monitoring: Hull strain gauges required on PC1 and PC2 vessels by IACS UR I2.
IMO MEPC.385(81): 2024 MEPC resolution clarifying HFO carriage exemption mechanism for the Arctic from 2024.
IMO MSC.385(94): IMO Maritime Safety Committee resolution adopted on 21 November 2014 introducing the safety part of the Polar Code as a new SOLAS chapter XIV.
IMO Polar Code: International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters adopted by the IMO and effective in 2017 under SOLAS Chapter XIV and MARPOL.
Inmarsat C: Polling/EGC/SafetyNET service in GMDSS.
Institut Polaire: IPEV, Institut Polaire Francais Paul-Emile Victor, operates Concordia and Dumont d'Urville.
Instituto Antartico Argentino: IAA, Buenos Aires, scientific operator under Direccion Nacional del Antartico.
Iridium Certus: L-band satellite broadband service (GMDSS-recognized 2020).
ISO 19906: International standard for Arctic offshore structures, referenced in ice load design.
ISO 35103: Operations in Arctic conditions standard for occupational health and safety.

J

Japan Coast Guard: JCG, the agency under which JHOD operates.
JARE: Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition since 1956, operates Showa Station served by AGB Shirase.
JCOMM: Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology; reorganized in 2019 into JCB.
JSC Atomflot: Subsidiary of Rosatom operating Russian nuclear icebreakers from Murmansk.

K

Kapitan Dranitsyn: Russian diesel-electric polar icebreaker built in 1980, operated by Atomflot.
Kara Sea: Marginal Arctic sea north of Siberia.
Karasik: Conceptual Russian Leader-class nuclear icebreaker LK-120 ordered 2020.
King Edward Point: BAS research station and fisheries office at Grytviken, South Georgia.
King George Island: Largest of the South Shetland Islands and site of the airstrip at Teniente R. Marsh used by Antarctica21 fly-cruise programs.
Kontio: Finnish state icebreaker built in 1987, sister of Otso.
KOPRI: Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, operates Araon icebreaker since 2009.
Kronprins Haakon: Norwegian Polar Institute Polar Class PC3 research vessel delivered 2018 by Fincantieri.

L

L'Astrolabe: French Navy patrol icebreaker delivered 2017, supports French Southern and Antarctic Lands and Dumont d'Urville.
Larsen Ice Shelf: Antarctic ice shelf whose recent disintegrations are widely studied.
Lifeboat Polar Code: Totally enclosed lifeboats required with insulation and heating, plus thermal protective aids for full complement.
LK-110: Russian Leader-class concept, 120 MW shaft power, two RITM-400 reactors.
LK-60Ya: Russian designation for the Project 22220 nuclear icebreaker class of approximately 60 megawatts shaft power.
LMG: RV Laurence M. Gould, USAP Antarctic Peninsula research vessel since 1997 under Edison Chouest.
LNG Carriers Yamalmax: Arc7 ice class LNG carriers serving Sabetta terminal, 15 in series.
Lomonosov Ridge: Submarine ridge bisecting Arctic Ocean, subject of overlapping CLCS submissions.
Louis S. St-Laurent: See CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent.
Low Air Temperature: Polar Code defined Mean Lower Daily Low Air Temperature MDLT used to derive Polar Service Temperature.
LR Ice Class 1AS: Lloyd's Register's Finnish-Swedish equivalent ice notation.
LR PC: Lloyd's Register Polar Class notations PC1 through PC7 mirroring IACS UR I2.
LRIT: Long-Range Identification and Tracking, required by SOLAS V/19-1 since 31 December 2008.

M

Madrid Protocol: Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1991, in force 1998).
Magdalena Oldendorff: Bulk carrier trapped in Antarctic ice 2002, rescued by Polarstern.
Mario Zucchelli Station: Italian PNRA summer-only base in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea.
MARPOL Annex I Regulation 43: HFO carriage and use ban for Antarctic waters since 2011.
MARPOL Annex IV: Prevention of pollution by sewage.
MARPOL Annex V: Prevention of pollution by garbage.
MARPOL Annex VI: Air pollution and energy-efficiency annex.
Mawson Station: Australian Antarctic year-round station opened 1954, supplied by RSV Nuyina.
McMurdo Station: USAP largest Antarctic station, Ross Island, supplied via fuel tanker and freighter convoy escorted by Polar Star.
MEPC.176(58): 2008 amendment adopting MARPOL Annex VI revised text.
Mirny: Russian year-round Antarctic station opened 1956, resupplied by Akademik Fedorov.
MLDLT: Mean Lower Daily Low Temperature, statistical basis for Polar Service Temperature.
MPS: Maximum Permissible Speed in given ice regime under POLARIS framework.

N

N. B. Palmer: RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer, USAP polar research icebreaker since 1992, ABS Polar Class.
NABOS: Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System, US-led Arctic Ocean cruise series.
NCPOR: National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Vasco da Gama Goa, India's polar science agency.
NERC: Natural Environment Research Council, UK funder of BAS and Sir David Attenborough.
Neumayer III: AWI year-round Antarctic station on Ekstrom Ice Shelf, opened 2009.
Norilsk Nickel: Operator of five Aker Arc7 double-acting cargo ships including Norilskiy Nickel since 2006.
Northern Sea Route: Russian Arctic shipping route between the Kara Gate and the Bering Strait, regulated by Glavsevmorput.
Northwest Passage: Arctic sea route through the Canadian Archipelago, first transited 1903 to 1906 by Amundsen.
NOVATEK: Russian LNG producer, operator of Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 with associated Arc7 fleet.
NPI: Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromso, operates RV Kronprins Haakon.
NSF: Common abbreviation for the Norwegian Saleform.
NSF OPP: Office of Polar Programs, NSF division responsible for Antarctic logistics contracts.
NSR Administration: Glavsevmorput, the federal institution administering navigation in the NSR waters.
NSR permit: Permission issued by the NSR Administration for transit of the Russian NSR.
Nuyina: RSV Nuyina, AAD flagship delivered 2021 by Damen Galati, Polar Class PC3, 25,500 GT.

O

Oden: Swedish state icebreaker and polar research vessel built in 1988, operated by the Swedish Maritime Administration.
Office of Polar Programs: NSF division contracting Edison Chouest for USAP vessels and Leidos for ASC.
Operational Limitations: restrictions on service area, draft or speed recorded in the class certificate.
Operations Manual: Statutory ISM-mandated documentation onboard.
Otso: Finnish state icebreaker built in 1986, operated by Arctia.

P

Palmer Station: USAP year-round Antarctic Peninsula station on Anvers Island, supplied by RV Laurence M. Gould.
PC1: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in all polar waters, including multi-year ice.
PC2: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in moderate multi-year ice conditions.
PC3: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in second-year ice with multi-year inclusions.
PC4: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in thick first-year ice with old ice inclusions.
PC5: IACS Polar Class for year-round operation in medium first-year ice with old ice inclusions.
PC6: IACS Polar Class for summer and autumn operation in medium first-year ice.
PC7: IACS Polar Class for summer and autumn operation in thin first-year ice.
PNRA: Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide, Italian Antarctic program operating Mario Zucchelli Station.
Polar Bear: Arctic apex predator (Ursus maritimus) and an emblematic species for Svalbard and east Greenland itineraries.
Polar Class: IACS classification system PC1 through PC7 defined in UR I1.
Polar Code Category A Ship: Designed for operation in polar waters at least in medium first-year ice including old-ice inclusions.
Polar Code Category B Ship: Designed for operation in polar waters at least in thin first-year ice including old-ice inclusions.
Polar Code Category C Ship: Designed for operation in open water or in ice conditions less severe than Categories A and B.
Polar Service Temperature: Polar Code parameter defined as at least 10 degrees Celsius below the lowest Mean Daily Low Temperature for the intended area and season of operation.
Polar Ship Certificate: Certificate issued under Polar Code attesting compliance and listing limitations.
Polar Star: USCGC Polar Star WAGB-10, US Coast Guard heavy icebreaker commissioned on 19 January 1976, sole US asset capable of breaking heavy Antarctic ice for Operation Deep Freeze.
Polar Water Operational Manual: PWOM, the mandatory operational manual under the Polar Code documenting procedures for polar service.
Polaris: Star Alpha Ursae Minoris; used for latitude north of about 1 degree N.
Polarstern: AWI flagship polar research vessel built 1982 by HDW Kiel, Polar Class PC1 equivalent.
Polarstern II: AWI replacement vessel ordered 2024 from a German Werften consortium, expected delivery 2030.
Port state control: PSC inspection regime.
Pressure ridge: Line or wall of broken ice forced up by pressure between floes.
Princess Elisabeth Antarctica: Belgian zero-emission summer-only station opened 2009 in Queen Maud Land.
Project 10510: Russian Leader-class nuclear icebreaker design, lead ship Rossiya under construction at Zvezda since 2020.
Project 22220: Russian universal nuclear icebreaker class also designated LK-60Ya, comprising Arktika, Sibir, Ural, Yakutia, and Chukotka.
Propeller Ice Loads: IACS UR I3 defines design loads for Polar Class shafting and propulsion.

Q

QinetiQ: UK defence-science company holding BAS instrumentation contracts.
Quark Expeditions: Polar specialist operator founded in 1991 by Mike McDowell and Lars Wikander, part of Travelopia since 2007.
Queen Maud Land: Sector of Antarctica claimed by Norway; logistics base of several research stations.

R

Rae Strait: Northwest Passage southern route segment traversed by N.B. Palmer.
Recovery Time: Polar Code Annex II metric for maximum time to a survival-capable rescue.
Redundant Steering: Polar Code requires steering arrangements operable after single failure.
Renaissance: World's first polar-class luxury cruise ship Le Commandant Charcot delivered 2021, Polar Class PC2.
Rescue Time: Polar Code Operational Assessment metric, baseline 5 days.
Risk Index Outcome: RIO under POLARIS, ship class-by-ice-type score determining go/no-go.
RITM-200: Russian OKBM reactor powering LK-60Ya icebreakers, 175 MW thermal per reactor, two per ship.
Roald Amundsen Center: UiT Norwegian Centre for Arctic Studies, Tromso.
Rosatomflot: Operating arm of Rosatom for nuclear-powered civilian icebreakers.
Rossiya: Lead ship of Russian Project 10510 Leader class, keel laid 2021 at Zvezda yard.
Rothera Research Station: BAS year-round Antarctic Peninsula station, Adelaide Island, served by Sir David Attenborough.
Royal Research Ship: UK designation prefix for vessels including RRS Discovery, RRS James Cook and RRS Sir David Attenborough.
Russian Maritime Register: RS, Russian classification society maintaining Arc4 to Arc9 ice class rules.

S

S. A. Agulhas II: South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment polar supply and research vessel, Polar Class PC5.
Sabetta: Russian port on the Yamal Peninsula serving Yamal LNG, opened in 2017 and connected via the NSR.
SafetyNET: Inmarsat-C broadcast service for MSI to selected sea or NAVAREAs.
Sanae IV: South African National Antarctic Expedition fourth-generation station, opened 1997 in Queen Maud Land.
SAR Plan: Search and Rescue contingency element of PWOM, requires coordination with relevant MRCC.
Scott Base: New Zealand year-round Antarctic station on Ross Island, supplied via USAP shared logistics.
Sea Ice Egg Code: WMO standardized ice notation depicting concentration, stage of development and form.
Shirase: Japan Coast Guard / JMSDF Antarctic supply icebreaker AGB-5003, commissioned 2009.
Showa Station: Japanese year-round Antarctic station opened 1957 in East Ongul Island, supplied by Shirase.
Sibir: Second Project 22220 icebreaker, commissioned January 2022, sister to Arktika.
Signy Research Station: BAS summer-only Antarctic research station, South Orkney Islands.
Sir David Attenborough: RRS Sir David Attenborough, BAS flagship delivered 2020 by Cammell Laird, Polar Class PC4, 15,000 GT.
SOLAS Chapter XIV: Safety measures for ships operating in polar waters; adopted by MSC.386(94).
South Georgia: Subantarctic British Overseas Territory known for King penguins, fur seals, and Shackleton heritage at Grytviken.
South Pole Traverse: USAP overland fuel resupply route from McMurdo to Amundsen-Scott Station.
Special Area: Sea area with stricter discharge regime under MARPOL Annexes I, II, IV, and V.
Steering Gear Redundancy: Polar Code requires two independent units operable in low air temperature.
Subglacial Lake Vostok: Antarctic subglacial lake under Russian Vostok Station, sampled 2012.
Survival Craft: Polar Code requires totally enclosed lifeboats with 5-day endurance and thermal protective aids.
Svalbard: Norwegian Arctic archipelago centered on Spitsbergen, governed under the 1920 Svalbard Treaty.

T

TAAF: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises, French Antarctic and Subantarctic administration based in Saint-Pierre, Reunion.
Taymyr: Russian shallow-draft nuclear icebreaker built in 1989 for Yenisei estuary service.
TC AIRSS: Transport Canada Arctic Ice Regime Shipping System derived from POLARIS but predating it.
Tier III NOx: Strictest IMO NOx limit applying in NOx ECAs.
Tor Station: Norwegian Polar Institute summer-only station in Queen Maud Land.
TPA: Thermal Protective Aid, mandatory at one per person aboard polar lifeboats.