Iceworld

This episode was conducted live from Rothera Research Station where I had the pleasure of discussing with Joe Clay, an amicable generator mechanic, and the person who made me (and most of us) laugh the most in our wintering team!

I wintered with Joe from January 2022- March 2023. I thoroughly being shown the workings of the 'gen shed' and having a tour of an generator engine strewn to pieces.

This episode was conducted live from Rothera Research Station. In addition to discussing Rothera, we also explore what it's like to be a fisheries scientist at another British Antarctic Research Station, King Edward Point, located on South Georgia.

I wintered with Alice Clement (Lyss) from January 2022- March 2023 in the Rothera Marine team. Lyss was originally appointed as the Winter Diving Officer. Due to a series of events, winter diving ceased at Rothera. Lyss stepped up and took on responsibilities of the Marine Assistant position in addition to maintaining diving equipment.

Later episodes will focus on Rothera winter Dive officers and overwintering Marine Assistants. This episode is more about Lyss's journey into working with the British Antarctic Survey.

It's been a while since we sailed across the Atlantic and into the Southern Ocean. Welcome back to a new series of a day in the life of Rothera's work force.

We will begin with a special person, close to my heart, Louis Day. Louis maintained the boating operations at Rothera Research Station during the winter. As I write, he is currently sailing towards the sub antarctic island of South Georgia to join the King Edward Point wintering team. He will continue his position as a winter boating officer, but at a different British Antarctic Survey research station, for the next 12 months.

Together with the third member of the team (Alice Clement), Louis, Alice and myself worked closely together towards collecting scientific samples and maintaining a long term oceanographic time series (hear more about this in the life of a Marine Assistant episode) during the 2022 polar winter.

I wish Louis the best in helping a new cohort of scientists in South Georgia during the 2023 subantarctic winter.

The cover photo captures the youngest (Louis) and oldest member of the team (Phil) exchanging the Union Jack flag for the sun up ceremony. Listen to find out more.

In this episode, the James Clark Ross facilitates a summer field season at Signy Research Station at 60° South, squeezes through the Lemaire Channel at 65° S, crosses the Antarctic Circle at 66 °33 S and finally reaches Rothera Research Station at 67° South. We catch our first glimpses of icebergs, passing seals dozing on sheet ice pass rafts of penguins darting out of the water. There are strong feels of attachment towards the ship that has been home for the last two months but alas, our new home awaits!

The voyage of the James Clark Ross continues as the ship approaches its first stop after four week at sea, South Georgia at 54° South. On the way we hear tales of humpback whales, wandering albatross and excited talks of sighting a blue whale.