Five weeks after setting sail from Tromsø, Norway, the Alfred Wegener Institute’s research vessel Polarstern makes a stop at the northernmost point on Earth. Here, too, the international team of researchers is investigating the coupling between sea ice, the ocean and its life, including within the deep sea. So far, the Arcwatch-1 expedition, launched on August 3, 2023, has delivered some surprising discoveries: For example, 2023 is characterized by unusual ice drift, which is affecting communities under the ice. In addition, the team has discovered an amazing biodiversity at a previously unmapped seamount at 1500 meters depth, under the ice.