Igloos and Earth Day

By the Catlin Arctic Survey Explorer Team

The Catlin Arctic Survey Explorer Team received the second and final resupply in the early hours of Friday morning. The chance to recoup supplies was extremely welcome following some heroic efforts on their part to manage a massive 50 nautical miles this week bringing them close to 880. They now sit at 87.46.56N 66.35.48E.

Whilst the scientists on the Ice Base continue to go about their vital research into ocean acidification, the support team at the Ice Base opted to spend what little free time they had building an igloo this week! Led by Russell, the Inuit Guide at the Ice Base, the team has captured the occasion on an amazing time-delay video.

The Ice Base team also found time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, which aims to raise awareness about the environmental challenges we all face. As US explorer and current Ice Base guide Tyler Fish said, “To paraphrase a North American Indian ‘there is nothing we can protect that we do not understand’, so in my opinion there is no better way to spend Earth Day than up here helping scientists with their research.”

Finally, our Explorer Team have been continuing their push North, and have now entered the final phase of their expedition. A resupply on the early hours of Friday morning, their last until the end of the expedition, gave the team renewed vigor however as they continued the painstaking collection of water samples.

The Catlin Arctic Survey 2010 is focused on what is widely considered to be the ‘other’ carbon problem beyond climate change – that of ocean change, researching how greenhouse gases could affect the marine life of the Arctic ocean. Laura Edwards, a researcher from Bangor University in Wales, and Rod Macrae, Head of Communications at Geo Mission, are blogging for WWF throughout the Survey from the Catlin Arctic Survey Ice Base in Nunavut, northern Canada – please come back regularly for their updates.