To better observe the ongoing changes in the polar climate- and ice-associated ecosystem, the Alfred-Wegener-Institute is developing new technologies for ice based observations in the framework of the Helmholtz initiative “FRontiers in Arctic marine Monitoring (FRAM)”. This includes the development and regular deployment of a new versatile remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for interdisciplinary observations under sea ice as well as the development of autonomous drifting observatories enabling the continuous monitoring of various physical and biogeochemical parameters in the sea ice and upper ocean. A recent activity is the development of an under-ice payload for a commercial low-cost AUV platform. The combination of these platforms allow to assess current changes, such as decreasing ice thickness, increasing light transmission through sea-ice, changing primary production and the polar carbon pump
