So, this is the first time I could take part in a research cruise, everything is so ‘fresh’ for me. We departed from university campus in Shenzhen 3 days ago, crossing from mainland China to Hongkong on July 06th, then flew to Iceland via Germany. It took us two days in to arrive in Reykjavík. After a brief sleep at a hotel in town and a quick snack for breakfast we just got to the ship for the first time.
My PhD research topic is related to nutrient distributions and the influence of glacier rock flour on marine biogeochemistry, so the MSM130 Polar Beast cruise is an extremely attractive to me. The ship will study 5 fjord regions in east Greenland where we know glaciers discharge freshwater and sediment into the ocean. Hopefully we are going to get nice data from this cruise and finding some interesting things. After a first days of talking to researchers who are going on the same cruise, sharing studies and life experience, I have a much better understanding of how to be a responsible researcher. It’s exciting to meet scientists from around the world whose work I’ve read online. Teamwork with such complex research fields requires high efficiency and perfect work organizing logistics. That is one of the most meaningful lessons I learned.
Besides research communication, the ships’ crew are also friendly and helpful for me to integrate into them community. It’s my first time on a ship so there are lots of things I don’t know. The beautiful ship and spacious accommodation and mess should make this a great trip and not just for science. I am now looking forward for what I can see and learn in the following 35 days.
