Ocean Science Expedition

It's time to reintroduce the crew onboard the Abel Tasman! Keith Tuffley Owner of the Abel Tasman & Expedition Leader, Keith put this expedition together to highlight the Arctic Tipping Points and collect crucial scientific data. Sylvestre Campe Sylvestre is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and is leading the filming for a 6-part documentary series for Canal OFF. Karina Oliani As a doctor & mountaineer, Karina has a deep interest in ocean science. She is a key subject in the documentary series. Isak Rockström Skipper of Abel Tasman, Isak ensures the boat stays on course, on schedule, and avoids any obstacles. This expedition represents a unique challenge for him. Alex Rockström Alex is our First Mate & an accomplished northern-latitude sailor. He has a deep love of remote regions and ocean wildlife. Cléo Campe Supporting her father with production of the documentary series, and sailing to the Arctic together, holds a special significance for Cléo. Sebastian Sánchez Academy Award-winning sound specialist, Sebastian, is capturing the sounds of the Arctic. Kester Haynes As the world’s most accomplished paraglider and paramotor pilot, Kester is taking to the skies on his paramotor to capture new perspectives of the Arctic. Ramon Gonçalves With a keen eye for visual storytelling and 20 years of experience, Ramon is assisting Sylvestre in capturing the journey through the Northwest Passage. Rakel Thorell Currently studying at Lund University, Rakel has an interest in blue economics and is our chef & deck-hand. Meg O'Hara During her 10-day artist residency Meg captured the sights, shapes, and colours of Greenland and will be working on her art series over the coming months. Also involved in this mission is Johan Rockström - Patron & Scientific Advisor, and Gustavo Gama Rodrigues (MEDIAetc) - Executive Producer. Although not onboard, their roles are vital to our expedition's success. #OceanScienceExpedition #AbelTasmanYacht #NorthwestPassage #TippingPoints #PlanetaryTippingPoints #PlanetaryBoundaries

Whilst waiting out a storm in Iceland 🇮🇸, Keith Tuffley, Expedition Leader, took the opportunity to visit Climeworks. Climeworks specialise in Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. Their Mammoth and Orca facilities are the world's first large-scale DAC plants. This technology works by filtering CO₂ from the air (40,000 tonnes per year!) and then reacting it with basalt deep underground to create new rock - locking it away. The plants run on renewable electricity ⚡️, hot water, and steam supplied by the local geothermal power plant. Watch the video to see how this works! Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are warming our planet 🌎. And climate change is affecting the Arctic faster than any other region - with temperatures rising nearly 4x faster 📈 than the global average. It is now widely agreed that to stay within global climate targets (1.5-2°C of global warming), carbon removals will also be needed along with emissions reductions. As Keith explains, DAC isn't the only solution we need, but forms part of wider efforts to tackle climate change. #OceanScienceExpedition #AbelTasmanYacht #NorthwestPassage #TippingPoints #PlanetaryTippingPoints #PlanetaryBoundaries #ClimateChange #Arctic #DAC #CarbonRemovals #CarbonRemoval

At the start of Week 6, the crew set sail from Nuuk - heading north towards Disko Bay 🇬🇱. From sun and blue skies in the harbour they immediately journeyed into immediate spooky fog (and even a fogbow) that often surrounds the Greenland coast. Two days later, on 17 July, the Abel Tasman officially crossed the Arctic Circle ❄️ - most of the crew celebrated with a cold dip 🥶. Soon afterwards a huge harem of seals 🦭🦭 rapidly heading out to hunt were spotted, and the team quickly pulled out the NatureMetrics eDNA kit to get a sample - which will hopefully pick up the seals 🤞! On 18 July the expedition reached Disko Bay, and the action ramped up. The boat is now a flurry of data collection, underwater acoustics recording, sea kayaking 🚣🏻♀️, scuba diving 🤿, and even ice climbing 🧗🏼♀️ and hiking. Cleo and Sylvestre are kept incredibly busy filming 🎥 all the activities, whilst Karina captures drone shots. The crew are continuing to explore Disko Bay and the Greenland coastline - being blessed by mountains, fjords, volcanoes, and stunning icebergs 🧊 - more photos to come! #OceanScienceExpedition #AbelTasmanYacht #NorthwestPassage #TippingPoints #PlanetaryTippingPoints #PlanetaryBoundaries

Introducing the story of the Abel Tasman ⛵️... This beautiful sailing vessel was crafted by the self-taught Dutch 🇳🇱 boatbuilder Siep Van Houten. Siep was both a skilled sailor and steel craftsman, and over the years of constructing boats he turned his backyard in Groningen into the Phoenix BV Westerbroek shipyard - constructing all of his boats single-handedly. The yacht was named after the Dutch seafarer “Abel Janszoon Tasman”, and her design was inspired by the famous 'America One' racing schooner that won the Americas Cup 🏆. A truly unique vessel, the Abel Tasman is 75 ft long, with a classical figure, skilfully rounded freeboards, and powerful 27.5m high schooner rigging. Combining beauty with strength, she is tough yacht that is perfect for high latitude circumnavigation. Finished in 1981, she was the last yacht Siep ever built and launched with a big ceremony 🍾 attended by journalists and spectators from the area. The Abel Tasman has many great adventures in her wake - stay tuned to find out more about this incredible vessel and her journeys to some of the most remote parts of the world. #OceanScienceExpedition #AbelTasmanYacht #Sailing #Sail #SailingAdventure #Schooner #SailingVessel #Yacht #SailingYacht #AbelTasman

Did you know that all living things leave traces of their DNA 🧬 in the environment? This environmental DNA (eDNA) can come from shedded skin, hair, and bodily excretions of living individuals, as well as decaying living matter. In seawater, eDNA doesn't stick around for long. So by taking water samples and extracting the eDNA using a filter, we'll be able to identify which species were present along our Arctic sailing route to create a snapshot in time of the local ocean biodiversity. The really exciting part about this technique, is that it can show us what we can't see with our eyes - elusive species, species under the surface, and what we might have missed in poor weather conditions. Our samples are being collected and analysed in partnership 🤝 with NatureMetrics - a global nature intelligence technology company that's making biodiversity monitoring simple and easy, enabling businesses to manage their impacts and dependencies on biodiversity, at scale. The Arctic is an understudied area, and the data we're collecting will help researchers build a picture of how Arctic biodiversity is being affected by climate change and other stressors. Featuring Keith Tuffley and Alex Rockström. 🎥 Filmed by Sylvestre Campe, MEDIA.etc.br #OceanScienceExpedition #AbelTasmanYacht #eDNA #Wildlife #Biodiversity #Arctic #OceanLife #OceanScience #DataCollection #Fieldwork #Sampling #MarineBiology #MarineLife #MarineScience

✨ HIGHLIGHTS FROM WEEK 5 ✨ At the start of the week, Alex spotted the first iceberg of the expedition - and from then on the icebergs, bergy bits, and growlers came in thick and fast. By Tuesday, the crew were sailing past icebergs as large as 100m wide and 25m high, and navigating a ‘growler graveyard’ of dozens of beautifully contorted shapes of ice, slowly melting away. Navigating through these ice fields (in the thick fog that encapsulates the Greenland coastline) requires total focus, regardless of the conditions, and frequent checks of the radar, ice charts, and satellite images. As the crew neared their landing point in Nuuk, a few curious seals poked their heads out of the water to get a good look at the Abel Tasman. Around midnight on 9 July, the crew pulled into port - ready for a well-deserved rest. The next 6 days were spent exploring Nuuk 🇬🇱, learning about the local Indigenous Inuit culture, and checking out the iceberg in the harbour - and watching it slowly melt away day by day, revealing beautiful patterns. Several new crew members joined the expedition in Nuuk, including: 🎨 Meg O'Hara - the Artist in Residence. ⛰️ Karina Oliani - mountaineer and expedition doctor (as well as her husband and 2 year old daughter). 🎼 Sebastian Sánchez - expert sound recorder (Cléo's husband). The crew has now doubled in size and spans 7 nationalities - with all their flags proudly flying on the Abel Tasman. #OceanScienceExpedition #AbelTasmanYacht #Sailing #Expedition #Ocean #Ice #Iceberg #Arctic #Yacht #IceField #Nuuk #Greenland #IndigenousPeoples #Inuit #Art

On Monday, the crew set sail from Nuuk towards Upernervik - sailing up the West Greenland 🇬🇱 coast. The crew has now doubled in size, as Meg O'Hara, Karina Oliani and her family, as well as Sebastian Sanchez have come onboard the Abel Tasman for it's journey through the Northwest Passage and Arctic Tipping Points. There are now 7 nationalities onboard, and the Abel Tasman is proudly flying their flags. Next stop, Disko Bay! #OceanScienceExpedition #AbelTasmanYacht #Sailing #Sail #Arctic #Greenland #Nuuk #DiskoBay #Ice #Iceberg

Baffin is proud to support Brand Ambassador Meg O'Hara as she embarks on her latest adventure, The Painter Line – a hiking and sailing expedition up the West Coast of Greenland. Using the power of storytelling and art to highlight the importance of ocean conservation in the polar regions, Meg is joining the Ocean Science Expedition as Artist-in-Residence. Meg will join scientists and crew living aboard a sailboat for eight days, travelling from Narsaq to Disko Bay. The team of scientists will utilize cutting-edge science equipment provided by The Ocean Race to conduct groundbreaking research on microplastics in the Arctic Ocean. Meg will be supporting the field work and science communication while onboard. This collaborative effort will not only support vital scientific endeavours, but also provide a unique opportunity for her to capture the essence of ocean conservation in the North. Baffin has geared up Meg for every stage of her journey, from hiking the mountainous and glacial regions to the days on deck, providing her with high-performance winter boots, cold-weather accessories and apparel, rubber boots, hybrid slippers and even our newly re-launched PATIO CLOG. Follow along on Meg’s exciting expedition: https://bit.ly/3XZgn4G

Along their journey from Norway to Greenland, the crew have spotted some incredible ocean wildlife. 🐳 Not one, but two pods of sperm whales cruising alongside the Abel Tasman off the South Iceland coast. 🐬 A pod of graceful white-beaked dolphins swimming in the waves. 🐋 Another pod of whales (ID pending). ✨ A MEGA pod of long-finned pilot whales AND bottlenose dolphins, spotted just off the tip of Greenland. 🦭 Shy seals taking a peek 👀 as the crew neared Nuuk in Greenland. 🐦 As well as many seabirds along the way. The crew have been incredibly lucky to see these majestic species, especially given the decline of biodiversity around the world. All of these species play an important role in ocean ecosystems - and we must keep our ocean healthy and thriving in order for it to remain our biggest ally in the fight against climate change. #OceanScienceExpedition #AbelTasmanYacht #Wildlife #Ocean #OceanLife #MarineBiology #Marine #MarineLife #Whale #Whales #SpermWhale #Dolphin #Dolphins #Seal #Seals #Seabirds #Greenland #Iceland #Norway #Sailing #Sail

This month is Plastic Free July 🗓️! A month where millions around the world commit to eliminating or reducing their plastic consumption 📉 - which is no easy feat in our plastic-dominated societies. Why is plastic a problem? Plastic is an incredibly versatile and durable material - with many applications. Globally, over 400 million tons is produced each year. And some estimates show that around 50% of that is for single-use purposes 🥤- meaning once used it becomes waste. Plastic waste is entering the environment, in particular the marine environment 🌊, and causing a whole host of issues for marine life. And studies are now starting to show that plastic is affecting us too... In partnership with The Ocean Race, we are collecting data on ocean microplastic along our route towards and through the Northwest Passage - an understudied area. By taking samples, scientists can start to understand the concentrations of plastic in different areas and paint a picture of its origin. Challenges like Plastic Free July are a great way to discover how much plastic we are wasting in our daily lives, raise awareness - through talking 🗣️ with friends, family, and colleagues, and put pressure on businesses ✊🏼 to reduce plastic in their products or use alternative materials. https://lnkd.in/f6rJSUr #Plastic #PlasticFreeJuly #PlasticPollution #Ocean #OceanPlastic #MarinePlastic