Understanding the Seabed Beneath the Cable

During the first part of the expedition, which concluded on 9 August, Oden mapped the seafloor as part of the international Polar Connect project. Polar Connect is a Northern European initiative for a fibre-optic connection between Europe and Asia via the Arctic Ocean – the shortest route between the two continents. The cable is intended to provide ultra-high transmission capacity while avoiding geopolitically sensitive areas.

On the Swedish side, the work is coordinated by the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, with co-financing from the EU. In summer 2025, Oden and CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent began mapping the seafloor along parts of the planned cable route. A third expedition is planned for summer 2027.

On 10 August, the second part of the expedition, Canada–Sweden Arctic Ocean 2026, began in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Oden and Louis S. St-Laurent then continued into the Arctic Ocean to carry out, among other activities, further mapping and sampling. This part of the expedition also includes an international graduate school for PhD students and early-career researchers focusing on the Arctic climate system. On board, participants have the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice through research and fieldwork in some of the most extreme conditions on Earth.

Polar Connect is a Nordic initiative developed by NORDUnet, the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. The initiative is funded by the Swedish Government, the European Commission and NORDUnet, which represents Sunet (Sweden), CSC (Finland), Sikt (Norway), DeiC (Denmark) and RHnet (Iceland).

Read more about Polar Connect and how the initiative contributes to secure and scalable digital infrastructure across the Arctic region.