by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 2:00 PM ET, Tue December 23, 2025
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions is sharing more details about the research scientists will conduct aboard its ships during the 2025-2026 Southern Ocean season.
Researchers will get to take advantage of the brand’s presence in the hard-to-reach Antarctic region, with the ships National Geographic Resolution, National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Explorer serving as a home base for 14 projects during 18 voyages.
“Research in remote polar regions is both essential and challenging, and it takes resources, expertise and the right platform,” says Amy Berquist, vice president of conservation, education and sustainability at Lindblad Expeditions. “We’re able to give scientists access to study critical environmental changes, while also giving our guests the chance to connect with that work in a way that makes their travel more meaningful and impactful.”
Since its launch in 2022, the Visiting Scientist Program has hosted 88 projects across more than 100 voyages. Researchers come from institutions around the world, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Oxford Brookes University, University of Tasmania, University of Bologna and the Spanish National Research Council.
During the 2025-26 Antarctic season, scientists will study everything from microplastics and icebergs to whales and seabirds.
“Supporting meaningful scientific research in the places we explore is a big part of what sets us apart,” says Ashley Knight, fleet science manager at Lindblad Expeditions. “Exploring the world with purpose is about more than travel, it’s about discovery. What inspires me most is seeing our captains, naturalists, shoreside teams and guests all working together to make these visiting scientist projects successful.”
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