Ice Pier The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, a heavy icebreaker homeported in Seattle, sits moored at the ice pier at the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station, Antarctica, Jan. 18, 2015. The ice pier is created by engineers who build snow berms that are filled with water. The water freezes and the ice pier is formed, which is strong enough to support heavy equipment and cargo. Polar Star's crew just left Antarctica after supporting Operation Deep Freeze, part of the U.S. Antarctic Program, managed by the National Science Foundation.