After loooooong plane rides from all over the world to the northernmost reaches of Norway, we will meet in Kirkenes, Norway. We’ll board our ship, the Akademik Fyodorov, which will then carry us around the Arctic, reaching latitudes of nearly 86 degrees north – almost to the top!
Post your question or comment below, and I will reply!
Hello Lindsay, i am a student from L.E.O.M.H.S and i had a question fro you and your team. What were you able to take on the the expedition in terms of clothing, food, and personal items?
Hi Esther, I had a LOT of those same questions before I left, especially because when you’re on a ship, you can’t go to the store and get something you forgot! As for clothing, the best thing to do is to wear layers – shirt, fleece, heavy jacket, a couple pairs of pants, gloves, thick socks, boots. They provide food on the ship for us, but they also told us we could bring our favorite snacks onboard if we wanted. For personal items, everyone brought their laptop, and some brought a Kindle or movies. You can bring anything you can fit in your suitcase!
Hi Lindsay, how is climate change affecting the Arctic?
Dear Stephanie, the Arctic is being affected by climate change because warmer temperatures are causing the ice to melt (last year was a record low for sea ice for the last several decades). The ice is crucial for animals like polar bears, who use the ice for hunting grounds to get dinner from the ocean. Without ice, it will be really tough for them to survive. Also, with less white ice in the Arctic, the amount of sunlight that gets reflected off the Earth decreases, and more sunlight/heat will be absorbed by the dark colored ocean. So the Arctic is affected by a changing climate, and changes in the Arctic can also affect the rest of the Earth.
Hello Lindsay, i am a student from L.E.O.M.H.S and i had a question for you and your team . i was wondering how much fuel can your ship hold and how often do you refuel?
Hi Anthony, this is one of the most amazing pieces of number “trivia” I have heard since being on the ship. The ship actually runs on 22 tons of fuel per day. And that’s just on open water. With all 4 engines running when we have to break through ice, it can go up to 50 tons per day. Imagine that gas bill! That is to power the ship as a whole too. And the fact that we have not had to refuel during the 5 week expedition is just mind-boggling to me.