Floating University – ArcTrain students on board RV Polarstern
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By Annegret Krandick, Kerstin Kretschmer, Laura Gillard, Tilia Breckenfelder
ArcTrain, an international research group, allows the opportunity for students to study the processes that affect our climate in the past, present and future scenarios with a focus on the North Atlantic Ocean and the Canadian Arctic regions. The ArcTrain project involves Master and PhD students, as well as Post Docs from Bremen/Bremerhaven (Germany) and a consortium of eight Canadian universities. Being part of ArcTrain, we are able to participate in several unique activities concerning Arctic research.
We meet regularly during seminars, workshops, conferences, and field campaigns to discuss and present our research. Providing the opportunity to learn internationally from experts in their field of study. These regular meetings allow us to receive feedback throughout all stages of our individual projects, giving us the chance to have interdisciplinary discussions. Hence, besides of our own individual projects we also get involved and learn about other disciplines covering marine geosciences, environmental physics, and ocean/sea ice modelling.
At the moment we are even more in touch (literally) with the different disciplines during the Floating University. Currently over 20 ArcTrain members are on board the RV Polarstern, as part of the scientific crew. For three weeks we will experience hands-on training, learning about different sampling techniques concerning sea water, sediment, and biological activity. Furthermore, we also get to experience life and work on board a research vessel.
This opportunity removes us from the comforts and familiarity of our own institutes’ research labs. We explore this new environment together, experiencing the Arctic first hand, and taking in the sights and smells of the voyage.
Greetings from sea, northeast of Greenland at 82ºN with the midnight sun!
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