Although Sikuliaq was initially expected to arrive in her homeport of Seward, Alaska, in January 2014,[10][11] her delivery was delayed due to technical problems and she spent her first winter in the Great Lakes.

[2] During the summer of 2014, she passed through the Panama Canal and began science operations in the equatorial Pacific and along the US west coast in the autumn.

Sikuliaq supports the collection of sediment samples from the seafloor, remotely operated vehicles, the use of a flexible suite of winches to raise and lower scientific equipment, and surveys throughout the water column and sea bottom using an extensive set of research instrumentation.

The vessel is designed to have the lowest possible environmental impact, including a low underwater radiated noise signature for marine mammal and fisheries work.

In addition, Sikuliaq is fitted with flexible over-side handling equipment such as an A-frame in the stern as well as a number of science winches and cranes on the aft deck.

[17] Sikuliaq is one of the first vessels ever to be fitted with Icepod propulsion units, Wärtsilä's brand of ice-strengthened azimuth thrusters that can be rotated 360 degrees about the vertical axis.

In addition, she can break first-year sea ice up to 2.5 feet (0.76 m) thick at a constant speed of 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) — which inspired her name.