Dispatches from the field

The expedition is a great opportunity for polar bear researchers to share notes and experiences, and discuss new, less invasive technology.

Tom Arnbom on the rapid and worrying change to Svalbard’s sea ice.

Cracking ice pushed aside by the Lance, wakeup call at 5:00. We are entering Smeerenburgfjord, named after the Dutch settlement Smeerenburg (blubber town), the largest 17th century Dutch whaling station on Svalbard.

While I’ve had the privilege to see much of the Arctic through both work and leisure, this is my first time in Svalbard.

A lack of sea ice is changing the expedition’s route.

A Norwegian Polar Institute and WWF-Canon scientific expedition sets off tomorrow to collect critical data about Europe’s most westerly polar bear population.

Kara, aka N26135, was tagged in Svalbard in spring. During the summer and autumn months, she performed a record long journey from Svalbard past Franz Josef Land in Russia and all the way to Severnaya Zemlja.

Day to day life on a small research ship in the Arctic, and our favourite moments.

The past two summers have allowed us to learn a lot about how the Arctic is changing, both from our own observations and by talking with the locals in northern communities.

Why explore the Arctic with a small vessel?