EPID and DueSouth

What is Polardex built on?

Polardex is built around the integration of two complementary foundational resources: the European Polar Infrastructure Database (EPID) and SOOS' Database of Upcoming Expeditions to the Southern Ocean (DueSouth). These resources address two closely connected dimensions of polar research planning: the infrastructure that supports research and the logistical movements and planning activities through which researchers, equipment and observations reach the field.

The European Polar Infrastructure Database, developed by the European Polar Board (EPB) and the EU-funded EU-PolarNet 2 project, provides the foundation for Polardex's information on macro-level polar infrastructure, particularly infrastructure directly linked to national polar programmes and research. It includes research stations, field facilities, laboratories, vessels, aircraft and other major infrastructure supporting research in the polar regions.

In Polardex, DueSouth, developed by the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), contributes the logistics and planned routes perspective in the Southern Ocean.

Originally established as a database of upcoming expeditions to the Southern Ocean, DueSouth was developed to address the need for greater visibility of planned voyages and field activities to facilitate coordination between researchers and organisations operating in the region. It enables users to identify who is going where, when, and for what purpose, creating opportunities for collaboration, shared logistics, equipment deployment, sampling and data collection. DueSouth therefore represents an important contribution from SOOS to the wider polar research and logistics community and remains a key component of Polardex. DueSouth is being further developed to expand the level of information shared, including additional details on sampling tools and methods, planned observations, and the availability of data generated through these activities, helping researchers identify opportunities for collaboration, shared sampling and data access.

DueSouth underpins the Southern Ocean/Antarctic Planned Routes functionality. Planned Routes presents information on scientific expeditions, research cruises and other voyages, and allows users to explore planned movements geographically. It can help researchers identify potential ships of opportunity, coordinate field activities, and determine whether existing logistical movements could support additional research objectives, thereby reducing the need for separate or duplicated efforts.

Through the integration of the European Polar Infrastructure Database and DueSouth, Polardex connects two types of information that are often considered separately: relatively persistent information about polar infrastructure and more dynamic information about planned logistical activities. This connection is central to the value of Polardex. It allows infrastructure and logistics to be considered together when planning research, rather than as independent elements of a field programme.

Strengthening DueSouth within Polardex

The continued development of DueSouth within Polardex provides an opportunity to further strengthen the quality, consistency and usefulness of information on Southern Ocean logistics. Co-designed with Southern Ocean stakeholders, DueSouth is being developed to increase the level of detail and relevance of information available on planned activities, while retaining its primary purpose as a practical coordination and discovery tool.

This development is supported through collaboration with relevant Southern Ocean networks and initiatives, including the SOOS community, Antarctica InSync, COMNAP and IAATO, as well as the EU-funded SO-CONNECT project. Such collaboration is important for improving the completeness of logistics information, strengthening connections between different providers and communities, and supporting more systematic approaches to sharing information on planned activities.

An important principle is to improve the information available for coordination without creating unnecessary reporting requirements for contributors. Polardex therefore aims to accommodate different levels of detail: some contributors may provide rich information on planned activities and route plans, including equipment and intended operations, while others may contribute more general, high-level descriptions of upcoming work. This flexible approach preserves the voluntary nature of contributions to Polardex while maximising the potential for collaboration and discovery.