"How important are viruses and bacteria in the Arctic Ocean?"

READ ELANOR'S DAILY BLOG HERE...

My role on the cruise

My role is to investigate viral-bacterial interactions in the water column, the sea ice and the sediment. This will involve collecting water, sediment and ice samples to measure viral and bacterial cell abundance and production in order to relate these to the local environmental conditions.  See more detail...

My institution

I am based at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) where I am a Lecturer in Marine Microbial Ecology and Marine Conservation.

Personal thoughts on the cruise

What are you most looking forward to about the cruise?

"On the work front: getting stuck into a really robust, collaborative science project that addresses globally pertinent issues. However, on a more personal level, I am looking forward to the breath-taking sight of ice bergs and vast expanses of pack ice dotted with seals and the occasional polar bear. From experience, there is nothing quite like ice and snow to make me feel alive."

What was your most exciting experience on a cruise?
"Seeing huge pods of pilot whales during a three month marine science cruise around Heard Island, sub-Antarctic, in 2003/04."

What was your worst experience on a cruise?
"Having the automatic rudder on our icebreaker (the Aurora australis) knocked out by a rogue wave and people being thrown across the galley and injured as the ship rolled haphazardly on the Southern Ocean (2003/04). Thankfully, the crew were brilliant and got things back under control within minutes."

What great luxury would you like to have on the cruise (but know you cannot)?
"It would be great to have a gym with huge windows onboard so we could exercise whilst admiring ice bergs, ocean waves and, hopefully, polar bears!"

What are you dreading most about this cruise?
"The sleepless nights as we try to complete a very ambitious work schedule!"

Click here to read my blog of a 3-month trip to Antarctica's Dry Valleys earlier this year.

Ellie's
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