Published

1 year ago

April 30, 2025

Alice Rush

The ICYMARE conference in Bremen

Hi, my name is Josephine, I am a student in the Master’s program Biological Oceanography at Geomar Helmholtz-Center for Ocean Research. I am currently writing my Master’s thesis at the Research and Technology Center (FTZ) in Büsum, which is part of Kiel University. My research focuses on the diversity and composition of fish communities in tidal creeks of the German Wadden Sea. My thesis is part of a project that consists of a field survey where fish and benthic communities were sampled at two locations in the Wadden Sea between May and November 2024.

The FYORD travel grant made it possible for me to attend the ICYMARE conference in Bremen, where I presented my research plan in a poster session. The conference took place from September 15^th to 20^th and generally addresses early career researchers in the field of marine sciences. Most of the participants were PhD students, some recently graduated Postdocs and some master students. The conference started with a get-together for drinks and snacks at the Bremen Overseas Museum and was followed by four days full of interesting talks, a poster session, excursions and ended with a big party. Each day started with a keynote talk held by experienced scientists. What I really enjoyed about this was that most of the talks were interactive and presented a range of career options following a degree in marine sciences. I really had the impression that all these talks were conceptualized to provide guidance, valuable insights and reassurance to young researchers like me. My favorite keynote talk was about merging “Constructive Journalism” and Research for the Greater Good by Christoph Sodemann from the company Constructify.Media, mostly because I have never heard of the concept of “Constructive Journalism”, and I feel like that is exactly what the world needs more of right now. The rest of the day was filled with a variety of presentations, always in two parallel sessions, so that there was always an interesting talk to listen to. There were coffee breaks and a lunch break each day, where you could network or take a look at the posters or enjoy some time in the creative corner, where you could express your passion for marine science and more in little artworks for everyone to see or for you to take home. Every day after lunch, there was a so-called “round table”, where we could hear and talk about topics that are important to us, for example, mental health during a PhD or how to handle conflicts at your workplace.

Example from the Geoscience Collection of the University of Bremen.

On the second day of the conference, the evening was reserved for the poster session, where I got to present my research for the first time alongside approximately 30 other young scientists. Each presenter was standing next to their poster, ready to answer questions or guide you through the poster. It was a great experience and made me feel more confident about my research. I got to talk to many people, some who work on similar projects, or some who come from a completely different background. This way, I learned how to adjust my presentation to the person who is listening based on what questions they ask. And while it was very exciting, I was also telling the same story over and over again to different people until after two hours of talking, my throat hurt, and I decided to take a look at the other posters and presenters before I headed back to my hostel. The afternoon of the third day was reserved for workshops and excursions. The workshops introduced either technologies, for example for pCO₂, pH or acoustic measurements, or aimed to improve skills such as navigating peer review processes or introduced different paths, for example as a data scientist or scientific journalist. I decided to go on one of the excursions that was highly recommended to me, the guided tour through the MARUM, the Bremen core repository of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and the Geosciences Collection of the University of Bremen. For the evening, a Science Speed Meeting was organized where you could meet other scientists and possibly make some new friends. On Friday evening, the conference was then closed with a Farewell and a Post-Conference Party.

Overall, this was a great experience that increased my confidence in my research and career choice, gave me the opportunity to meet many great people and to gain insights into what is possible after I graduate. What makes this conference so special is that it is mostly organized by young scientists for young scientists, which is reflected in the structure of the conference and the price tag, making it accessible to students. I am definitely going to be in Bremerhaven for the ICYMARE 2025. If you, the reader, are standing at the beginning of your career in marine research, I would highly recommend you come, too.

Josephine Lorenzen

Sea-Level Rise and Vulnerability in Seychelles

My name is Kim Nierobisch. During my studies, I developed a focus on interdisciplinary marine science, completing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Sociology and a Bachelor of Science in Geography, both with a strong emphasis on marine topics. Currently, I am pursuing my Master’s degree in Practical Philosophy of Economy and Environment.

Climate and coastal adaptation planning often operate within a more technical framework, while social, political, cultural, and normative dimensions tend to be sidelined. Beyond the question of who decides where and to what extent adaptation occurs, the normative dimension plays a fundamental role – namely, the essential question of what coastal communities define as worth protecting. My master’s thesis explores the intersection of sea-level rise and vulnerability in Seychelles. Specifically, I analyze how normative values shape coastal adaptation priorities by examining government documents to identify both explicit and implicit strategies. In this context, normative values are understood as collectively held beliefs about what should be prioritized, preserved, or pursued. They reflect societal judgments about what is considered good, just, or desirable. During the workshop, I had the opportunity to reflect on these findings. As part of a focus group discussion, I explored the normative dimension of coastal adaptation priorities more deeply, allowing me to better understand and contextualize normative values, which resonate in decision-making but remain underexamined.

The workshop on Sea-Level Rise Impacts in Seychelles 2024 was organized by the adjust team from Kiel University, the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment (Seychelles), and Sustainability for Seychelles. It brought together stakeholders mainly representing government organizations, environmental consultants, and nature conservation groups. The workshop combined inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to analyze the impacts of sea-level rise in Seychelles, assess coastal adaptation options, and discuss various strategies and priorities.

The process of analyzing and extracting normative values was quite challenging. Although normative values were not explicitly named or fully recognized within a technical dominant framework, they were clearly present and influenced coastal adaptation planning. This underscores the importance of more deeply integrating social, political, cultural, and normative dimensions into research and planning processes. Inter- and transdisciplinary formats have their limits (which should always be defined), but they remain valuable approaches because they provide a more holistic understanding of complex issues. A key takeaway from my experience was understanding that such collaboration requires continuous dialogue and exchange to overcome barriers between different perspectives. It takes a lot of time, effort, and persistence, especially due to the different epistemologies – different ways of knowing and understanding the world, which are shaped by different disciplines, cultures, and experiences – involved.

Additionally, I had the opportunity to strengthen dialogue and cooperation within the UN Ocean Decade framework. The initiative was officially endorsed as an UN Ocean Decade activity, focusing on research and planning that promotes sustainable ocean governance through interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and integrative approaches. As the youngest member of the German UN Ocean Decade Committee, I recognize the urgency of addressing current challenges, such as the 1.5°C target (which is at risk of failing) and the limited progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (with only around 16% expected to be achieved by 2030). Dialogue, particularly among young ocean enthusiasts and early career ocean professionals, is necessary to tackle these challenges and build a sustainable future together. These conversations offered an important opportunity to promote solidarity, mutual support, and shared motivation in a time of uncertainty regarding global climate and ocean-related goals.

THANK YOU! I am deeply grateful for the many meaningful encounters with incredible people, inspiring moments, and the fruitful, critical exchanges that took place in Seychelles. I would like to sincerely thank the FYORD team and the OceanVoices blog for their long-standing support and collaboration.

Kim Nierobisch

The ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting

My name is Mariana Hill, and I work at the Biogeochemical Modelling group at GEOMAR. I’ve been at GEOMAR since 2016, when I started my Master’s degree. Currently, I do my own research in collaboration with other members of GEOMAR and institutes overseas. I am interested in modelling higher trophic levels, such as fish, sharks and whales, and their interactions with the environment. For this, I use diverse tools, for example, dynamic models such as the individual-based multispecies model OSMOSE, as well as habitat niche models using statistical and machine learning algorithms. I work with regional models, allowing me to study in detail local ecosystems. For my doctorate, I focused on the northern Humboldt Current System, which hosts the most productive fishery on the planet. During the postdoc, I have expanded my expertise to other ecosystems such as the western Baltic Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mexican Pacific.

I attended the ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Charlotte, USA, from the 26^th to the 31^st of March. I presented our latest work modelling the habitat of Peruvian anchovies in the northern Humboldt Current System. This conference gathers every two years researchers working on ocean sciences and limnology from all over the world. While there’s room in the conference for scientists working in all kinds of aquatic fields, biogeochemistry and marine biology are especially well covered. I presented at the “Leveraging Modelling Approaches to Understand and Mitigate Global Change Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems” session, which was one of the largest in the conference, spanning a whole day. This session brought together modellers from several disciplines, so I got the chance to learn about new ecological models that I had not heard of, such as the structural casual models. I was also impressed by the level of expertise of some really young scientists, even in their Bachelor’s. I found it an interesting experience that, despite being an early career scientist, in this conference, I took more of a mentoring role for younger scientists in contrast to my previous conferences when I was still a student.

Mariana during the presentation of her research.

The ASLO conference is very friendly with students and early career researchers, providing plenty of opportunities for these groups, such as workshops on science communication and career development, social events, mentoring and even a mailing list for searching for shared accommodation. I got the chance to reconnect with another Master’s student from GEOMAR who is now working as a postdoc in Arizona and went for a hike in the Appalachian Mountains with some of her friends. The whole experience ended up with being invited to a new working group on Nitrogen. Another non-conventional exchange happened at the parking lot of our accommodation when everyone had to evacuate due to a false fire alarm, and my roommate and I met a senior scientist working in Texas who reminded us of the most basic questions of why we do science. Don’t just write proposals on the hot topics, “do what you love and your time will come”.

ASLO 2019 was the first conference that I attended when I started my doctorate. Back then, I found the possibility of chairing a session at a future conference attractive. Later on, I learnt that this is not such an easy task since you have to look for co-hosts and write a session proposal. However, this year, when I got my letter of acceptance to present at ASLO, I also got an invitation to chair one of the sessions that had been proposed by the organisers but did not have a host yet. I expressed my interest and became the chair of the “Fish and Fisheries” session! This was a very rewarding experience since I got to know the speakers of the session, as well as my co-chair, and I learnt what it is to be “on the other side of the table” during a session. I learnt some useful practices that I will apply from now on whenever I present at a conference session. For example, something I did not use to do but now I consider important is to introduce yourself to the session chair before the session starts. As a chair, I really appreciated this since I could identify the speakers and know if anyone was missing.

Keep an open mind when going to ASLO and step out of your comfort zone to visit not only the sessions related to your main research interest but also other sessions and workshops; you might get nice surprises. It is also a great setting for getting career advice from people who are not so close to you or are not involved in your work. Don’t be scared of talking to senior researchers, I have never encountered a person who is not happy to talk to me during a conference; in the worst-case scenario, you might just need to line up for a couple of minutes, but the time spent waiting is totally worth it! I have got some of the best ideas for my science communication strategies at conferences, from a scientist who was not very comfortable speaking English bringing a buffet of questions about his talk for the audience to pick from, to an improv workshop on how to speak freely and engage with the audience through a positive attitude hosted by a Hollywood actor. Always have a notebook for taking notes with you because your brain will be boiling with new ideas during the whole conference.

I recommend attending the ASLO conference, especially to early career researchers, to biologists and biogeochemists and to anyone looking for collaborations in the USA. A special recommendation for shy scientists is to try different ways of networking, not just the typical chats during the coffee breaks. For example, the icebreakers and mixers usually have specific formats to integrate everyone into small groups. Talking to the person sitting next to you during the plenary session might just get you to meet a top scientist in your field. This is how I got to know about a new project on whale monitoring in the Virgin Islands! Furthermore, asking questions one-to-one to the presenter after the session or plenary is also a great way to start a conversation. And, finally, I totally recommend any early career scientist to host a session; it is a lot of fun and, at least in ASLO, the format is so friendly that it will cost you barely any effort.

Mariana Hill

FYORD Travel Grant Reports: May 2025

Ocean Acidification

The Invisible Invasion: Why Do Some Species Get Attention and Others Don’t?

Published

1 day ago

May 6, 2026

Alice Rush

The freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii is one of the world’s most widespread invasive species, now found across freshwater systems on nearly every continent. Yet most people have never heard of it.

Our recent European study revealed that:

more than 80% of people did not know the species’ scientific name,
nearly half thought it was a marine jellyfish,
and only one-third recognized it as non-native or invasive.

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pan3.70344

This raises an interesting question: How can a species spread globally while remaining almost socially invisible? Part of the answer may be surprisingly simple: freshwater jellyfish are tiny, transparent, seasonal, and mostly harmless to humans. Imagine if these jellyfish caused severe stings in swimmers. Imagine Danish lakes suddenly filled with painful jellyfish blooms. The media response, public concern, and political attention would likely be immediate and enormous. Instead, the species remains largely unnoticed because it does not directly threaten human comfort or safety.

This contrast says a lot about how society perceives environmental risk. In 2026, millions followed the dramatic rescue attempt of “Timmy,” a stranded humpback whale in Germany. The rescue operation reportedly involved over a million euros, massive media attention, livestreams, and emotional public engagement.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/28/timmy-whale-barge-rescue-attempt-germany

At the same time, silent aquatic invasions capable of altering ecosystems across continents often struggle to receive even basic research funding. Speaking as a jellyfish researcher, this contrast is difficult to ignore.

Research on gelatinous organisms and cryptic invasions frequently receives limited support, despite their potentially important ecological consequences under climate change and global species redistribution. Another study where I was also involved, highlights a related issue: the language and narratives we use strongly shape public understanding of ecological problems.

https://www.reabic.net/journals/mbi/2026/1/MBI_2026_Vilizzi_etal.pdf

Similarly, previous research on jellyfish media coverage showed that jellyfish associated with painful stings or dangerous blooms receive dramatically more media attention and stronger emotional responses from the public.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11852-016-0423-2

Perhaps freshwater jellyfish represent the opposite extreme: an invasive species spreading quietly because it lacks the dramatic narrative that usually drives headlines. And maybe this is one of the biggest challenges in modern ecology:
not only detecting environmental change
but learning how to communicate the quiet ones before they become impossible to ignore.

The Invisible Invasion: Why Do Some Species Get Attention and Others Don’t?

Ocean Acidification

Chemie: macht das Unsichtbare sichtbar

Published

3 days ago

May 4, 2026

Alice Rush

English version below

Wenn man an Chemie denkt, denkt man wahrscheinlich schnell an explodierende Gläser, ätzende Säuren und verrückte Professoren, aber nicht an den Ozean. Hier an Bord wird unsere Wissenschaftsteam auch von zwei chemischen Ozeanographen begleitet, Tobias Steinhoff und Kristin Kampen.

Den beiden habe ich die Frage gestellt, „Was findet ihr an der chemischen Ozeanografie spannend?“: Es ist unglaublich interessant, was es alles an unsichtbaren Prozessen im Meer gibt, die unser aller Leben beeinflussen: In der chemischen Ozeanographie untersuchen wir, wie sich chemische Bestandteile im Meer verhalten, z.B. wie sich gelöste Gase (wie CO₂ und Sauerstoff), Nährsalze (wie Nitrat und Phosphat), Spurenmetalle und organische Verbindungen im Meerwasser verhalten und verteilen. Der Ozean nimmt CO₂ auf, produziert Sauerstoff und transportiert Nährstoffe durch den Ozean und überall wirken chemische Prozesse mit. Diese Zusammenhänge zu verstehen ist Grundlage unserer Arbeit.

Auf unserer Ausfahrt in der Labradorsee nehmen sie Seewasserproben und extrahieren gelöstes organisches Material (DOM). Dies umfasst alle organischen Verbindungen, die im Meerwasser gelöst sind, also nicht als Partikel vorliegen. Das sind zum Beispiel Zucker, Aminosäuren, Fette und komplexere Moleküle, die aus abgestorbenen Organismen, Ausscheidungen von Meereslebewesen oder dem Abbau von Algen stammen. Als einer der größten Kohlenstoffspeicher spielt DOM eine zentrale Rolle im marinen Kohlenstoffkreislauf. Die Labradorsee ist eine der wichtigsten Regionen für die Bildung des North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). Oberflächenwasser sinkt in die Tiefe und nimmt dabei DOM mit. Das NADW verteilt dieses Material dann über Jahrhunderte durch die Weltmeere und entzieht so der Atmosphäre langfristig Kohlenstoff. Zusätzlich werden kontinuierliche Messungen von pCO₂/O₂ im Oberflächenwasser während der Fahrt durchgeführt, um sich den Austausch von CO₂ zwischen Ozean und Atmosphäre anzuschauen. Viele Prozesse sind hierbei immer noch nicht vollständig verstanden, wie z.B. der Gasaustausch bei hohen Windgeschwindigkeiten.

Da es hier auf See, besonders in dieser Region, oft sehr stürmisch zugeht, ist kein Geheimnis und es geht natürlich besonders in einem Chemie Labor dann doch mal etwas zu Bruch. Wie läuft diese Arbeit also bei 11bft und 6 Meter Wellen ab. Wasserproben müssen meist innerhalb von 24 Stunden verarbeitet werden. Da kann man nicht immer Rücksicht auf die Wetterbedingungen nehmen. Einige Arbeiten werden immer noch nasschemisch gemacht und unter Einsatz von Glasmaterial. Sowohl das genaue Abmessen von Reagenzien als auch das Zusammenhalten der Glasware ist nicht immer einfach bei einem rollenden Schiff (und auch nicht immer erfolgreich). Man versucht zwar den doch dann plötzlichen Bewegungen des Schiffes entgegenzuwirken und alle Proben Behälter, Kisten und Flaschen zu sichern. Man wird aber dann doch mal von einem umkippenden Mülleimer überrascht und die noch neu verpackten Plastikröhrchen oder andere Fliegengewichte im Regal finden bei der einen oder anderen Welle ihren Weg auf die gegenüberliegende Seite im Labor. Dazu kommt, dass beim Arbeiten mit chemischen Stoffen und Proben doch des Öfteren beide Hände für die Arbeit gebraucht werden. Wird man dann allerdings von einer Welle überrascht, erfordert das Festhalten mit der dritten Hand (Fuß falls man schnell genug ist), einiges an Bauchmuskeln.

Das Besondere an der Arbeit auf See ist, dass man neben der alltäglichen Schreibtischarbeit auch praktisch arbeiten kann. Dabei ist man auf die enge Zusammenarbeit mit seinen Kollegen angewiesen und lernt sie dabei viel besser kennen. Zusätzlich sind auch viele andere Forschungsbereiche mit an Bord, wodurch es einen spannenden Austausch zwischen den einzelnen Gruppen gibt.

Zum Schluss hier noch ein kleiner Tipp am Rande von unseren Chemikern und für deine erste Forschungsseereise: Laschen, laschen, laschen und immer ein Ohr am Bordfunk: Der Arbeitsplan ist bei den Wetterbedingungen eher ein Vorschlag und kann sich stündlich ändern (die nächste CTD Station ist immer um die Ecke).

Chemistry: Making the Invisible Visible

When you think of chemistry, you probably quickly imagine exploding glassware, corrosive acids, and crazy professors, but not the ocean. Here on board, our scientific team is also accompanied by two chemical oceanographers, Tobias Steinhoff und Kristin Kampen.
I asked them the question: “What do you find exciting about chemical oceanography?”

“It is incredibly fascinating how many invisible processes exist in the ocean that influence all of our lives. In chemical oceanography, we study the fate of various chemical components in the ocean: for example, how dissolved gases (such as CO₂ and oxygen), nutrients (such as nitrate and phosphate), trace metals, and organic compounds behave and are distributed in seawater. The ocean absorbs CO₂, produces oxygen, and transports nutrients through complex cycles, including chemical processes. Understanding these relationships forms the basis of our work.”

During our expedition in the Labrador Sea, they collect seawater samples and extract dissolved organic material (DOM). This includes all compounds dissolved in seawater, meaning they are not present as particles. Examples include sugars, amino acids, fats, and more complex molecules that originate from dead organisms, excretions from marine life, or the breakdown of algae. As one of the largest carbon reservoirs, DOM plays a central role in the marine carbon cycle.

The Labrador Sea is one of the most important regions for the formation of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). Surface water sinks into the depths, carrying DOM with it. NADW then distributes this material throughout the world’s oceans over centuries, thereby removing carbon from the atmosphere over the long term. In addition, continuous measurements of pCO₂ and O₂ in surface water are taken during the voyage to study the exchange of CO₂ between the ocean and the atmosphere. Many processes involved are still not fully understood, such as gas exchange under high wind speeds.

It is no secret that conditions at sea especially in this region are often very stormy, and in a chemistry lab, things can occasionally break. So how does this work at 11 Beaufort and 6-meter waves? Water samples usually need to be processed within 24 hours, so you cannot always take weather conditions into account. Some work is still done using wet chemistry and glass equipment. Accurately measuring reagents and holding glassware steady is not always easy on a rolling ship (and not always successful). Although efforts are made to counteract sudden ship movements and to secure all sample containers, boxes, and bottles, you may still be caught off guard by a tipping trash bin, and newly packaged plastic tubes or other lightweight items can suddenly fly across the lab with the next wave.

On top of that, when working with chemicals and samples, both hands are often needed. If a wave hits unexpectedly, holding on with a “third hand” (your foot, if you are quick enough) requires quite a bit of core strength. What makes working at sea special is that, alongside everyday desk work, you can also do hands-on work. This requires close cooperation with colleagues, allowing you to get to know them much better. In addition, many other research disciplines are on board, which creates exciting exchanges between different groups.

Finally, here is a small tip from our chemists for your first research expedition: strap everything down, strap everything down, strap everything down and always keep one ear on the ship’s radio. The work schedule is more of a suggestion under these weather conditions and can change hourly (the next CTD station is always just around the corner).

Chemie: macht das Unsichtbare sichtbar

Ocean Acidification

Between Storms and Science: Easter in the Labrador Sea (04.04.26–13.04.26)

Published

3 weeks ago

April 18, 2026

Alice Rush

Between all the scientific work, we celebrated Easter on board, although the weather had other plans for us. Due to rough conditions, we weren’t able to carry out any CTD casts.

Easter itself was spent in a mix of rest and small celebrations. Some of us enjoyed a long Easter breakfast with traditional Easter bread, while others took the opportunity to sleep in. In the evening, we gathered with both crew and scientists for a small celebration. The ship’s cook even organized a quiz, and those who answered correctly were rewarded with Easter chocolate.

The next day, the weather improved, and we began early with the recovery of K1, a 3,495-meter-long mooring in the middle of the Labrador Sea.

We joined the nautical officers on the bridge before sunrise to search for it. Fortunately, K1 has a floating buoy with a light, so we were able to spot it even in the dark. The actual recovery started at first light, and it began to snow while we were working.

Amid all the CTDs and mooring operations, there was also a personal highlight: my (Sarah’s) birthday. Although I’ve spent birthdays away from home before, this one felt especially unique, being so far out at sea, with only limited internet contact.

Normally, I work the 4-8 shift, but my incredibly kind shift team gave me the morning off. That meant I could sleep in and even find time to call family and friends back home. In the afternoon, I was surprised with my favourite cake, baked by Julia.

Our work continued with the mooring array at 53°N, which consists of seven moorings. So far, we have recovered five (K7, K8, K9, DSOW1 and DSOW2), and three of them have already been redeployed (K7, K8 and DSOW1,).

Deploying K7 turned out to be particularly tricky. On our first attempt, sea ice drifted toward us faster than expected, forcing us to recover nearly half of the mooring again. While the ship itself can handle drifting ice, deploying a mooring is much more delicate: a long cable with instruments and floats is released behind the ship before the anchor is dropped, allowing the system to sink into place.

Two days later, we tried again and this time, the deployment was successful.

Afterwards, we moved closer to the sea ice, which was a highlight for many of us. Seeing the ice up close and even spotting a seal swimming nearby, made the experience unforgettable.

Due to the continuing harsh weather, the decision was made to return to K1 and make use of an upcoming weather window for deployment the following day.

German:

Zwischen Stürmen und Wissenschaft: Ostern in der Labradorsee (04.04.26 – 13.04.26)

Zwischen all der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit haben wir Ostern an Bord gefeiert, auch wenn das Wetter andere Pläne für uns hatte. Aufgrund der rauen Bedingungen konnten wir keine CTD-Messungen durchführen (Messungen von Leitfähigkeit, Temperatur und Tiefe im Ozean).

Ostern selbst war eine Mischung aus Erholung und kleinen Feierlichkeiten. Einige von uns genossen ein ausgedehntes Osterfrühstück mit traditionellem Osterbrot, während andere die Gelegenheit nutzten, etwas länger zu schlafen. Am Abend kamen Crew und Wissenschaftler*innen zu einer kleinen Feier zusammen. Der Koch organisierte sogar ein Quiz, und wer die Fragen richtig beantwortete, wurde mit Oster-Schokolade belohnt.

Am nächsten Tag besserte sich das Wetter, und wir begannen früh mit der Bergung von K1, einer 3.495 Meter langen Verankerung mitten in der Labradorsee. (Eine Verankerung ist eine lange, am Meeresboden befestigter Draht, der mit Instrumenten ausgestattet ist, um über längere Zeit Ozeandaten zu messen.)

Noch vor Sonnenaufgang gingen wir mit den nautischen Offizieren auf die Brücke, um nach ihr Ausschau zu halten. Glücklicherweise verfügt K1 über eine schwimmende Boje mit Licht, sodass wir sie bereits im Dunkeln entdecken konnten. Die eigentliche Bergung begann bei Tagesanbruch und es begann sogar zu schneien.

Zwischen all den CTD-Einsätzen und Verankerungsarbeiten gab es auch ein persönliches Highlight: meinen (Sarahs) Geburtstag. Obwohl ich schon öfter Geburtstage fernab von zu Hause verbracht habe, war dieser besonders, so weit draußen auf dem Meer und mit nur eingeschränktem Internetkontakt.

Normalerweise arbeite ich in der 4-8 Uhr Schicht, aber mein unglaublich nettes Schichtteam hat mir den Morgendienst freigegeben. So konnte ich etwas länger schlafen und hatte sogar Zeit, mit Familie und Freunden zu Hause zu telefonieren. Am Nachmittag wurde ich dann noch mit meinem Lieblingskuchen überrascht, den Julia für mich gebacken hat.

Unsere Arbeit ging weiter mit dem Verankerungs-Array bei 53°, das aus sieben Verankerungen besteht. Bisher haben wir fünf geborgen (DSOW1, DSOW2, K7, K8 und K9), von denen drei bereits wieder ausgebracht wurden (DSOW1, K7 und K8).

Das Ausbringen von K7 erwies sich als besonders schwierig. Beim ersten Versuch trieb das Meereis schneller auf uns zu als erwartet, sodass wir fast die Hälfte der Verankerung wieder einholen mussten. Obwohl das Schiff selbst gut durch treibendes Eis navigieren kann, ist das Ausbringen einer Verankerung deutlich anspruchsvoller: Dabei wird ein langer Draht mit Messinstrumenten und Auftriebskörpern hinter dem Schiff ausgesetzt, bevor am Ende der Anker gelöst wird und das gesamte System absinkt.

Zwei Tage später versuchten wir es erneut, diesmal mit Erfolg.

Anschließend fuhren wir näher an das Meereis heran, was für viele von uns ein besonderes Highlight war. Das Eis aus nächster Nähe zu sehen und sogar eine Robbe in der Nähe schwimmen zu beobachten, machte das Erlebnis unvergesslich.

Aufgrund der weiterhin rauen Wetterbedingungen wurde schließlich entschieden, zu K1 zurückzukehren, um ein bevorstehendes Wetterfenster für die Ausbringung am nächsten Tag zu nutzen.