Research in the Arctic

by Anneke van den Brink Customer story

At Wageningen Marine Research, we are working with our international partners to monitor ecological changes in the Arctic. Our research on the arrival of marine non-native species in Svalbard required us to travel around these Arctic islands in 2018, sampling and surveying different beaches.

Schip: m/v Plancius

Regio's: Arctis

Bestemmingen: Spitsbergen

At Wageningen Marine Research, we are working with our international partners to monitor ecological changes in the Arctic.

Our research on the arrival of marine non-native species in Svalbard required us to travel around these Arctic islands in 2018, sampling and surveying different beaches.

Though this kind of project is often logistically challenging in such a remote place, traveling with Oceanwide Expeditions made our work much simpler, allowing us to focus on our research while also enjoying the breathtaking surroundings and wildlife.

We traveled on Plancius along the northern coast of Svalbard from August to September. On the day we set off, we arrived early at the docks in Longyearbyen. The Oceanwide staff were amazingly helpful right from the start.

They didn’t miss a beat between saying farewell to their previous guests and welcoming us, the dishevelled and partially frozen scientists waiting in the icy wind with crates and buckets of gear. It certainly helped that many Oceanwide guides have backgrounds in biology, as they were all very interested in what we were doing.

What a fascinating group of tourists we got to share this adventure with: From teenagers to the elderly, 22 different nationalities were represented on board, and all were excited to experience the wonder that is Svalbard.

Once all the passengers had boarded, Plancius sailed out of Isfjord accompanied by a pod of frolicking dolphins. We were off!

Video by Anneke van den Brink

We headed towards our first landing in Raudfjord. The water was beautifully calm and the blue whale mother and calf feeding in the area ensured that the rain didn’t dampen the mood on-board. We landed with the Zodiacs on a stony beach with an old wooden hut, a remnant of Svalbard’s hunting past.

We busied ourselves with taking samples while the passengers set off in their walking groups, accompanied by guides.

One group energetically hiked up the hill, another walked with the primary purpose of photographing the area, and another leisurely strolled not far from the shore. That this last group and their guide stayed nearby meant that we could do our work in safety.

Once other passengers noticed that we were there for work, we were approached by various individuals intrigued by what we were doing.

In the evenings, there were often on-board presentations on different aspects of the area. The guides each had their own area of interest, and we got to learn about the history, ice, water and wildlife of the area we were visiting.

We were also invited to give a presentation on our project, informing the passengers as to why we four ladies were digging in the coastal sediment. The passengers seemed very interested and liked helping us identify pieces of plastic debris we had found.

Image by Kimberley Seaward

Because of the places we were able to go on Plancius, we were able to collect and process samples from more beaches than the minimum number we had planned. These samples will give us a good idea what organisms are living in and on the sediment of different beaches around Svalbard.

Travelling with Oceanwide Expeditions meant that we also got to experience stunning Arctic scenery with ease, learn more about the area we were studying, and make contact with both passengers and staff.

Oceanwide is deeply committed to eco-friendly tourism. Facilitating scientific research plays an important role in their approach, and we were very glad for it!

If you want to learn more about this project, please see www.wur.nl.
 

Gerelateerde reizen

23 Days Extended Around Spitsbergen & Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis
Tot US$4540 korting

23 Days Extended Around Spitsbergen & Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis

PLA10d24 When you join two outstanding Arctic cruises into one, you get powerhouse polar adventures like this. After edging the pack ice of the planet’s most stunning polar bear habitat, you head to scenically surreal northeast Greenland for views of the magical...

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Reisdatum:

9 aug. - 31 aug., 2024

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

9920 USD

Rond Spitsbergen - Kvitøya, In het gebied van de ijsbeer en ijs

Een complete Circumnavigatie van Spitsbergen, met een bezoek aan Kvitøya

PLA10-24 Ga mee op poolexpeditie tijdens een expeditiecruise rond Spitsbergen. Deze bijzondere expeditie biedt de kans om het unieke hoog-Arctische Poollandschap te aanschouwen en het afgelegen eiland Kvitøya te bezoeken, een eiland van historische betekenis....

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Reisdatum:

9 aug. - 18 aug., 2024

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

op aanvraag

Spitsbergen - Noordoost Groenland, Aurora Borealis, Inclusief Lange Wandelingen

Een poolreis naar drie Arctische eilanden: IJs, Inuït en Isolement

PLA11-24 Deze Spitsbergen - Noordoost Groenland expeditie is een avontuur voor echte pool liefhebbers. Vaar mee vanaf Spitsbergen naar het pakijs en uiteindelijk Scoresby Sund. Aanschouw het ongerepte poollandschap, waaronder het bijzondere pakijs en ga mee...

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Reisdatum:

18 aug. - 31 aug., 2024

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

10800 USD

Noord Spitsbergen Verkenner – Diverse landschappen, zee-ijs en wilde dieren

De beste kans om actief te zijn en exotische Arctische dieren te spotten!

PLA02-25 Deze expeditie focust op de veelzijdigheid van de visueel verbluffende landschappen in het noorden van Spitsbergen, het uitgestrekte zee-ijs en de vele mogelijkheden om walvissen, ijsberen, zeevogels, walrussen en andere wilde dieren te spotten. Geniet...

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Reisdatum:

3 jun. - 10 jun., 2025

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

4300 USD

Noord-Spitsbergen Verkenner - ijsberen, Groenlandse walvissen en meer

Deze expeditie richt zich op de veelzijdige landschappen van Noord-Spitsbergen, het ongelooflijke zee-ijs en de vele mogelijkheden om wilde dieren te spotten, zoals walvissen, ijsberen, vogels en walrussen.

PLA03-25 Het voornaamste doel van deze expeditie is het zoeken naar Groenlandse walvissen en ijsberen in de uiterste randgebieden van het pakijs van de Groenlandse Zee, een gebied waar we ze al eerder in grote aantallen hebben gezien.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Reisdatum:

10 jun. - 17 jun., 2025

Ligplaatsen starten vanaf:

4300 USD

Loading