Into Greenland’s remote fjords aboard R/V Skagerak
Round-the-clock sampling, ice-covered fjords and dancing northern lights. After almost two intense weeks, the GREENCARB research team has begun the journey back towards Sweden with new data on melting glaciers. On the return journey from Greenland, we asked expedition leader Julie Lattaud what it has been like to work aboard the University of Gothenburg’s research vessel R/V Skagerak.
Julie Lattaud is an assistant professor of environmental science at Stockholm University. She leads the GREENCARB research project, which investigates how glacial melt affects the carbon cycle, marine ecosystems and greenhouse gas emissions in Greenland’s fjords. She co-led the expedition with Camille Akhoudas and Flor Vermassen.
Julie, you have now completed two weeks of fieldwork in south-east Greenland. How did the expedition go?
It went very well, although we had to change our plans because of the number of icebergs in some of the fjords. We worked around the clock in two shifts of five people, so the sampling was very intensive.
At a typical station, we started by lowering the CTD rosette to measure parameters including temperature, salinity, turbidity, chlorophyll and oxygen, and to collect water samples at different depths. Our deepest station was around 700 metres. We also collected zooplankton and sediment samples and, at some sites, used sub-bottom profiling to identify suitable locations for longer sediment cores.
Why was R/V Skagerak particularly well suited to this expedition?
R/V Skagerak is the right size for working in these fjords. We were able to operate in relatively shallow water and get close to the glacier fronts, while still having access to the scientific equipment and facilities we needed on board.
It went very well, although we had to change our plans because of the number of icebergs in some of the fjords.
The vessel’s built-in instruments, including the FerryBox, CTD rosette and various sensors, were very important for our work. Access to different sediment corers also allowed us to collect detailed samples from the seabed.
How important were the crew and technical staff to the research?
They were absolutely essential. The officers helped us with weather forecasts and selecting sampling sites, while the deck crew assisted with the cranes and winches every time we deployed equipment, both day and night.
Skagerak’s on-board technician was invaluable when we worked with equipment including the FerryBox, CTD sensors, aerosol sampler and multibeam echo sounder.
An expedition like this simply could not be carried out without the crew.
How much did the conditions in Greenland affect your work?
A great deal. Both the ice and the weather meant that we had to remain flexible throughout.
At one point, bad weather was approaching, so we had to temporarily cut short one of our transects inside a fjord and move the sampling to more exposed stations while conditions were still good. Once the wind and waves increased, we were able to return to the more sheltered part of the fjord.
We took a short break from the work to watch the northern lights dancing above us.
That kind of planning requires very close collaboration between the researchers, captain and crew.
The ship time was funded through the Swedish marine research infrastructure SWERVE. What did that mean for the project?
For early-career researchers like us, it would be very difficult to finance an expedition of this scale with limited research funding and temporary positions.
Having the ship time funded through SWERVE made it possible for us to carry out the project.
Finally, is there a particular moment from the expedition that will stay with you?
Our first night in a Greenlandic fjord was spectacular. We took a short break from the work to watch the northern lights dancing above us.
Experiencing this part of Greenland from R/V Skagerak has been very rewarding. It is such a comfortable vessel to work and live on, even during such an intensive expedition.
By Agnes Faxén