What are the origins of the beach litter?

geographic source of waste
10 August 2017 | Category: Arctic Marine Litter expedition

Second part of the Arctic Marine Beach Litter expedition At this moment, we are sailing on the Ortelius with Oceanwide Expeditions around the northern tip of Spitsbergen. We are on our way to the next monitoring location of this second part of the Arctic Marine Litter expedition. Like the first…

How much mercury do we find in bottom-dwelling organisms of the Arctic fjord?

How much mercury do we find in bottom dwelling organisms of the Arctic fjord?
25 July 2017 | Category: Svalbard

The first time on the water is always a bit hectic, developing the best working process with the equipment and research team. After a few hours everything worked fine and we were able to complete the whole sampling we had scheduled for that location. Fulmars joined us around the boat during the whole sampling. So what did we do during sampling?

The Drain of the Gulfstream

The ocean pollution of the Gulfstream
7 June 2017 | Category: Arctic Marine Litter expedition

Monitoring for litter on Poolepynten and Sarstangen shows the ocean pollution of the Gulfstream. On its way to the North, the Gulfstream will pick up any litter item that floats. When these items arrive in the Arctic, they will remain here. This is why the amount of litter in the Arctic is building up every year. As a consequence, the sea around Svalbard ends up becoming the drain hole of the Gulfstream.

The Arctic Marine Litter expedition has begun!

Marine litter expedition to Spitsbergen
23 May 2017 | Category: Arctic Marine Litter expedition

In remote regions such as the Arctic, some beaches are literally strewn with large pieces of litter such as nets, buoys, household plastics and other waste. This raises all kinds of questions. How can so much marine litter end up here? What is it exactly? How does it find its way into the ocean? And where does it come from? One could also wonder whether there is a link to certain economic activities in Svalbard, or whether the litter has come from further afield. If so, from where and how?

Aerial survey: ‘Off effort’

12 July 2016 | Category: Aerial survey cetaceans

– By : Steve Geelhoed – Off survey flight The sun shines over northern Scotland. We are in our hotel in Inverness though. Off effort. Validating data from the last three days of surveying. The wind is too strong to survey. The last days the weather was suitable enough to…

Bye, Ny-Ålesund!

12 July 2016 | Category: Svalbard

– By: Isolde Puts – The polar days in Ny-Ålesund passed by very fast. The focus during the last few days were on finishing the experiments, cleaning up in the labs, and storing our research equipment. And now we’re back home. Midsummer celebration at Ny-Ålesund Luckily I could celebrate the ending…

Life at research station Ny-Ålesund

8 July 2016 | Category: Svalbard

– By: Tinka Murk – Socks with holes Life at research station Ny-Ålesund differs a lot from life in the Netherlands. I feel at home quite easily. Not only because everybody here speaks Norwegian to me (I guess I look quite Norwegian), but also because life is quite easy going…

The first 3 days flying: 250 cetacean sightings

5 July 2016 | Category: Aerial survey cetaceans

– By Meike Scheidat – The survey set-up for cetacean viewing On Monday all teams assembled at their respective bases, which are spread out across Atlantic Europe from northern Norway to Portugal. This first day was spent on training and doing some “dry runs” with the equipment. Surveys are run…

First flight!

4 July 2016 | Category: Aerial survey cetaceans

– By: Steve Geelhoed – Flight weather Five days ago aerial team III gathered in Inverness, Scotland. Leo, the pilot, flew in from Liverpool, Linn from Berlin via Amsterdam where she met Steve. Marie (see picture) came from Svalbard via Oslo and London. Typical Scottish weather welcomed us. Thus providing…