The glaciers are enormous, the water is deep blue, and the contrast of that blue with the ice is stunning.
That’s how Dr. Sophia Johannessen from Sidney remembers her experience of visiting the coldest place on earth, Antarctica.
“And then there were penguins,” she said. “So many penguins.”
Johannessen, is a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, who got the opportunity to join a rare Canadian-led expedition to Antarctica last spring. She describes the journey as an experience that was both scientifically and personally extraordinary.
Being a geochemical oceanographer, Johannessen studies everything from light at the ocean’s surface to sediments on the seafloor. While she regularly works in the coastal waters of British Columbia, this was her first time travelling to Antarctica.
Johannessen explained that the group of scientists got the opportunity to go on the expedition when the Canadian Navy ship HMCS Margaret Brooke was invited to visit the Brazilian Antarctic base.
The expedition was not merely a scientific adventure for Canada; it promoted Canada’s application for Consultative Party status in the Antarctic Treaty system, which would give it a direct say in the governance of Antarctica. Antarctica is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, in which Canada has participated in a non-decision-making role as a non-Consultative Party since the 1980s.
Canada issued a call, which led to 15 scientists embarking on the RCN’s HMCS Margaret Brooke to comprise the first all-Canadian science expedition into Antarctic waters aboard a navy ship.
Dr. Thomas S. James, a research scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) in Sidney led the trip as the chief scientist of the group.
In total, about 80 Navy officers and crew sailed with 15 scientists who boarded the ship in Punta Arenas, Chile, first steaming through the Chilean Fjords before heading south.
Johannessen said that although the group of scientists pursued different projects on board, they had a shared focus of understanding how Antarctica and its coastal oceans are changing due to climate change.
“Antarctica is incredibly important to the whole world,” Johannessen noted. “A lot of CO₂ dissolves in the waters there, and it’s one of only two places on Earth where surface ocean water sinks all the way to the bottom and circulates for hundreds of years.”
Johannessen’s role involved collecting sediment cores from the seafloor. These sediments act as natural archives, recording environmental change over time.
She is studying whether the sources of organic carbon both from land and from ocean microscopic marine algae (phytoplankton) are shifting as the climate warms.
Most of the work took place aboard the ship, where conditions were generally comfortable. She went ashore three times to visit research stations reached by the expedition.
She remembered having to wear layers of clothing under dry suits when they had to go out on the small boat to collect samples.
“Some days the weather didn’t cooperate. The wind was howling against us,” she recalled. “It was pushing the boat toward the huge glacier and chilling our hands, as we struggled to collect water samples over the side.”
Collecting uncontaminated water samples for trace metals was especially demanding. Tia Anderlini of the University of Victoria had brought a 12L Teflon-lined bottle for collecting uncontaminated water samples for trace metals.
“The bottle was heavy, the boat was bouncing, and you couldn’t touch anything the wrong way, to avoid contamination.”
Johannessen said that the expedition was successful not only scientifically, but diplomatically as well. While in Antarctica, the ship visited five international research stations.
At each one, the Canadian flag was raised. “It was science diplomacy in action,” she said.
She then went on to explain the unique experience she had as a scientist in the ship.
“The Navy ship had never had scientists aboard before, and none of us had ever been on a military ship. Most of us were a bit apprehensive.” she said.
However, those sentiments did not last long after the ship started sailing.
“They were completely welcoming and open,” she said, referring to the Navy officials on board. “The captain was particularly enthusiastic about science.”
But even amidst the welcoming environment, adjusting to the Navy culture took time for the scientists. Johannessen explained that they heard unfamiliar announcements over the ship’s PA system and had to learn strict chains of command.
“You couldn’t just ask a deckhand for help,” she said. Requests went through the chief scientist and then the operations officer.
The other major challenge the scientists faced was that the ship was not designed for scientific research, unlike a science vessel, and did not have built-in labs or large winches.
Johannessen explained that instead, they had to improvise the equipment. They used a shipping container converted into a chemistry lab,(supplied by MEOPAR, a consortium of Canadian universities), and a small winch and platform built on board with a compact water-sampling device.
“It was tight, and we couldn’t use our usual equipment. Everyone had to be very flexible and collaborative,” she said.
The experience was unforgettable for her and the rest of the group of scientists.
“It was an extraordinary privilege,” she said. “We showed that Canada can do science from a Navy ship and that scientists and the Navy can work together to mount a major expedition independently.”
She believes this is just the beginning of a series of such exciting expeditions. “I think there will be more Canadian Antarctic expeditions in the future,” she added.