After 33 years of service to the United States Antarctic Program, the NSF Research Vessel / Icebreaker (RVIB) Nathaniel B. Palmer ended its charter with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in October 2025. Since its maiden voyage, the vessel has played a key role in supporting marine research and logistics operations between NSF Palmer Station and South American ports, as well as scientific discovery in the region.

(RVIB) Nathaniel B. Palmer Retirement Announcement

Information on this and subsequent pages is provided here for historical and archival purposes.

NBP Cruise History
Life Onboard the NBP
NBP Systems and Specifications

Shared Equipment

NBP Coring and Bottom Sampling
NBP Geophysical Systems
NBP Ice Coring
NBP Mooring Systems
NBP Nets and Trawls
NBP Remote Sensing Ice Imagery
NBP Snowmobiles and Small Boats
NBP Underwater Imagery
NBP Vehicle Requirements
NBP Water Column Profiling and CTD
NBP Winches and Wire

Lab Resources

Grant Proposal Process Flowchart
NBP Analytical Instruments and Equipment
NBP Basic Supplies and Consumables
NBP Stocked Chemicals NBP Cryogens and Compressed Gases NBP Walk-In Coolers

Sensor Information

NBP Sensor Metadata