Viking lately introduced its Viking Expedition Crew has revealed a scientific paper documenting the Viking first Antarctic season . Following observations of the not often encountered scyphozoan Stygiomedusa gigantea (big phantom jellyfish), the encounters occurred throughout submersible dives within the coastal waters of the Antarctic Peninsula in early 2022.
A Uncommon Consequence
Regardless of reaching as much as 30 ft in size, solely 126 encounters with the enormous phantom jellyfish have ever been recorded for the reason that species was first described in 1910. Throughout Viking’s inaugural season in Antarctica in 2022, direct observations of the enormous phantom jellyfish have been made thrice from submersibles deployed from Viking’s expedition vessel, the Viking Octantis®, and documented by stills and video images.
Authored by two of Viking’s Chief Scientists, the scientific paper describes how private submersibles, comparable to these on Viking expedition ships, might be vessels of alternative for organic analysis. With citizen science actions being fashionable amongst expedition friends, the paper additionally notes the potential to collect guest-derived information from submersible dives. Lead writer, Dr. Daniel Moore, famous “It’s extraordinary that we all know so little about such giant marine creatures as the enormous phantom jellyfish, nonetheless now now we have the means to make common observations at higher depths than beforehand doable, which offers an thrilling alternative for discovery.”
Revealed in Polar Analysis, the scientific journal of the Norwegian Polar Institute, the article might be learn right here: http://dx.doi.org/10.33265/polar.v42.8873.
Viking Expedition Crew
Viking has created the world’s main scientific enrichment surroundings in an expedition setting with the assistance of partnerships with esteemed tutorial establishments. Throughout every expedition, visiting researchers from associate establishments are a part of the 36-person Viking Expedition Crew. This various group of consultants lead friends by significant scientific work, present guiding and interpretation throughout shore excursions and ship world-class lectures.
In April 2022, Viking introduced a strengthening of its lead partnership with the College of Cambridge, establishing a brand new Professorship aimed toward advancing analysis within the subject of polar environmental science. The Viking Polar Marine Geoscience Fund endows the College of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Analysis Institute (SPRI) with its first-ever totally funded professorship—the Viking Chair of Polar Marine Geoscience. This new put up enhances the scientific management on the Institute and allows the event of latest traces of analysis into the conduct of polar environments, together with polar ice sheets, sea ice and ocean circulation.
The analysis fund builds on Viking’s current partnership with Cambridge College’s SPRI, which performed a big function in growing the scientific enrichment program for Viking Expeditions. Specialists from the Institute have been additionally consulted within the improvement of The Science Lab on Viking’s expedition vessels; the 380-square-foot lab is comprehensively appointed with moist and dry laboratory amenities and helps a broad vary of analysis. Julian Dowdeswell, Professor of Bodily Geography on the College of Cambridge, and former director of SPRI, serves because the Chair of the Viking Analysis Advisory Group, a consortium of scientific leaders from Viking’s associate establishments who’ve been actively concerned in overseeing the sphere analysis being undertaken on board.
Along with the College of Cambridge’s SPRI, Viking First Antarctic Season’s different scientific companions embody:
- The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Ornithologists are often on board Viking’s expedition vessels, enterprise post-doctoral analysis on new remark strategies and offering visitor recommendation and interplay.
- Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Nice Lakes Environmental Analysis Laboratory (GLERL): Conducts revolutionary analysis on the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Nice Lakes and coastal areas to supply data for useful resource use and administration choices that result in secure and sustainable ecosystems, ecosystem providers, and human communities. Viking’s expedition ships have been designated official NOAA / US Nationwide Climate Service climate balloon stations, from which common launches are undertaken.
- Norwegian Institute of Water Analysis (NIVA): Scientists from NIVA are engaged in cross-disciplinary analysis packages on water-related points. On Viking’s expedition ships, NIVA FerryBoxes are put in to pattern the marine and freshwater areas the vessels sail, to supply steady details about chlorophyll, oxygen, temperature, salinity, microplastic presence and complementary meteorological information.
- Norwegian Polar Institute: The allowing authority for Viking’s Norwegian flagged expedition vessels, who overview and approve all of Viking’s expedition and science actions in Antarctica.
- Oceanites: Viking helps the fieldwork of Oceanites, an American Not-for-Revenue subject analysis entity, that has led on Antarctic penguin monitoring for the previous thirty years, by mobilizing groups of penguin researchers on Viking expedition Antarctic voyages.
- Fjord Phyto: Viking hosts a NASA-funded program of Scripps Establishment of Oceanography, that gives the chance for friends to interact in analysis and public schooling by novel citizen science sampling of polar phytoplankton, for genetic inhabitants analyses.
- The IUCN Species Survival Fee Species Monitoring Specialist Group: Viking coordinates with this worldwide group of consultants to develop marine biodiversity monitoring programs that allow Viking expedition vessels to gather priceless species inhabitants information.
Viking First Antarctic Season- Viking Expeditions
Viking affords destination-focused expeditions in Antarctica and North America’s Nice Lakes, with an expedition fleet that features the Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. Designed for discovery by the identical workforce that designed the award-winning Viking Longships® and ocean ships, the 378-guest vessels are purpose-built for expeditions, at a great dimension for security, consolation and to help an unrivalled vary of actions in distant locations. With extra indoor and outside viewing areas than different expedition vessels, friends are as shut as doable to probably the most magnificent surroundings on earth.
Revealed in Polar Analysis, the scientific journal of the Norwegian Polar Institute, the article might be learn right here: http://dx.doi.org/10.33265/polar.v42.8873.
Photographs: Viking Cruises
