Arctic

Researchers have enlisted narwhals, known as "sea unicorns," to study the remote Arctic regions. By attaching satellite transmitters to six individuals, scientists gathered unique data on temperature and salinity in East Greenland's fjords, collecting in three years an amount of information equivalent to 130 years of observation.

Against the backdrop of Donald Trump's threats regarding the American need for control in the Arctic region and his repeated statements about American annexation intentions for neighboring Greenland, the residents of Iceland will go to the polls this coming Saturday for a referendum that will decide whether to reopen accession talks with the European Union.

When thinking about fungi, one usually imagines them in a forest, on trees, or in the ground. However, it turns out that fungi also live under the sea, and a new study published in the scientific journal "PLOS Biology" points to their surprising role: they may help store carbon on the ocean floor. Researchers discovered that tiny fungi in the Arctic region absorb substances from the environment.

Chinese company "Sea Legend" has launched a weekly container service through the Arctic Ocean. The route shortens shipping times between China and the UK, bypassing the troubled Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

A Chinese container ship has set sail for Europe via the North Pole. This move allows Beijing to bypass the Suez Canal and halve the journey time, following disruptions in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

High fuel prices, melting glaciers at the poles, and tensions in the Middle East have opened a faster route for cargo ships through the Arctic Ocean. China is the first to launch a regular freight service on it, and experts predict rapid growth.