If Oceans Could Speak

Today’s conversation is with Kimberly Aiken, Research and Policy Associate for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC). Kimberly previously worked on Arctic issues as a Policy Intern with the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany and on the Polar and Climate Programme at GRID-Arendal in Norway. We are delighted to hear her perspective on both poles!

In her refreshing and poetic way, Kimberly retells the journey to her polar career so far, the idols that inspired her, and the actions that keeps her hopeful. 

We talk to Kimberly about the social and human dimensions of environmental change in the Arctic. She passionately reflects on the importance of expanding diversity and inclusion efforts in all areas of polar research and policy, from traditional knowledge systems to supporting youth from all backgrounds.  Kimberly’s compelling and profound words speak of optimism and hope both in the face of change and through the power of change.

Kimberly’s article: https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/trailblazer-arctic-tribute-first-african-american-reach-both-poles/#:~:text=The%20Arctic%20Institute-,Trailblazer%20in%20the%20Arctic%3A%20A%20Tribute%20to%20the%20First,American%20to%20Reach%20Both%20Poles&text=It%20has%20been%20over%20100,uncommonly%20known%20to%20the%20world.

In this episode we are delighted to talk with Professors Rachael Lorna Johnstone and Mia Bennett. Mia is an Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong and Rachael is a Professor of Law at the University in Akureyri in the North of Iceland and at Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland, in Nuuk.

What exactly does the Arctic Ocean provide people and nations? How do people access these resources? and how are they shared amongst us? These are key questions for the sustainability of development in the Arctic and they are at the heart of today's discussion with Mia and Rachael. 

Mia and Rachael share their wealth of knowledge on all matters Arctic and bring its state of affairs into sharp focus. We learn how its infrastructure has changed since the Cold War, the opportunities and challenges that climate change could bring for its communities, and what we stand to lose if we don't listen to the Arctic Ocean and the communities that know it best.

Thank you Mia and Rachael, for sharing your valuable insights and for bringing the Arctic closer to home than ever.

Today our guests are Dr Tymon Zielinski and Dr Volker Rachold. Volker is Head of the German Arctic Office based at AWI, working at the science-policy interface. Tymon is a leader of the Climate and Ocean Research and Education Unit at IOPAN, Poland. 

This episode is particularly special to us as our guests are not only esteemed Arctic researchers, they also represent the EU4Ocean - the very initiative that brought us together and brought this podcast to life!

Together, Tymon and Volker look back on their careers and time in the Arctic and share their hopes and concerns regarding its future. They also share their passion for Ocean Education and “Ocean Literacy” – the tool which they believe can be a game changer in spreading awareness of the Arctic environment and lead to positive action. 

Making the ocean a concern of everyone, especially young people, is the vision of the EU4Ocean. Tymon and Volker believe this is one of many examples of how strong cooperation and communication in the Arctic will be key for its future.

Learn more and stay tuned on EU4Ocean events: http://www.eu-oceanliteracy.eu/

We are thrilled to reveal that Lera Auerbach - celebrated conductor, pianist, composer, poet, and visual artist – is our guest on today’s episode.

Lera joins us to explore her perspective of the Arctic Ocean through the power of art, music, and storytelling. She is well placed to do so: her award-winning Symphony No.4 “ARCTICA”, is a boldly imaginative piece, commissioned by the NSO, The Oslo Philharmonic, and the National Geographic Society, and in collaboration with renowned Nat Geo explorer-in-residence Dr Enric Sala.

From her childhood in Russia to encounters in Greenland, Lera takes us on the life-long and life-changing journey that led to this extraordinary work. ARCTICA has given Lera an emotional connection to our polar regions and their beauty. Through the power of music, she invites her audience to do the same.

Lera’s website: https://leraauerbach.com/

More on the making of ARCTICA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7nOif_u7wg

Today we take a journey up into the Arctic sky! At least, that’s the viewpoint of our guests, who we think have one of the coolest jobs around…

In this episode we are joined by Dr Hannah Cubaynes from the British Antarctic Survey and WWF and Dr Kim Goetz from NOAA in the United States. Hannah and Kim are marine mammal biologists who use images from planes, drones, and satellites to spy on the whales and walrus below. 

We discuss how exactly you spot a whale from space and the multitude of challenges facing Arctic wildlife today. Kim recounts her experience “on the ground” with the isolated and endangered Beluga population at Cook Inlet, Alaska. In contrast, Hannah reveals the unique connection to these animals she gains through the images on her screen.

Together, Kim and Hannah candidly remind us that close encounters – even digital ones – can spark a personal connection to this fragile ocean. Their final message invites you to join them in their exciting new project.

Learn more here: https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/walrus-from-space

We are delighted to be joined by acclaimed political scientist Dr Gosia Smieszek in today’s episode. Gosia works at Norway’s Arctic University in Tromso, researching issues of Arctic Ocean governance. She is also passionate about gender equality and representation, and has co-founded the successful association “Women of the Arctic”.

We talk openly about the complexity of governing the Arctic Ocean, and the added challenges (and opportunities) that climate change brings. We also explore the experiences that motivated her and colleagues to create the inspiring “Women of the Arctic” and Plan A initiative, and are introduced to the work of a few of these inspiring women, from Kjersti Busch and Susan Eaton to Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.

Gosia’s sense of purpose is clear to hear, and seems to be grounded in the personal connection to the environment she finds in her daily life. How can we be as determined as her to make a difference in the Arctic Ocean? Gosia's advice: “Do what brings you joy”.

Learn more about Plan A: http://www.genderisnotplanb.com/

Report on Gender Equality in the Arctic: https://www.uarctic.org/news/2021/5/report-on-gender-equality-in-the-arctic/

In this first episode we have a wonderful conversation with Thomas Wunderlich and Felix Lauber - Captain and First Officer of Germany’s Polar Research Vessel, “Polarstern”. 

Thomas and Felix take us inside the Polarstern, revealing her history, operations, and what makes her such a dependable ship for undertaking vital scientific research in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Captain Thomas shares his personal account of the Polarstern’s most ambitious voyage yet - the largest polar expedition in history - MOSAiC. The Polarstern and the hundreds of crew and scientists on board spent an entire year drifting through the Arctic Ocean in order to gain vital data on global climate change. As we hear, executing an expedition of this scale took a huge effort and was not always smooth sailing, especially with the arrival of a  global pandemic. 

After visiting the same regions each year for over a decade, Thomas and Felix give us a glimpse of the polar world from their unique viewpoint, including the dramatic changes in sea-ice they have witnessed and how this has affected them and their outlook of the planet. 

Learn more about the mammoth MOSAiC expedition: https://mosaic-expedition.org/

Polar biologist Dr. Jen Freer introduces this new podcast - If Oceans Could Speak.

In this podcast we listen to the ocean through the stories of our guests who have shared their life with the sea around them. In this premiere series we focus on the Arctic Ocean.

Each week our conversations explore a different perspective of the Arctic Ocean, from the adventures of Thomas Wunderlich, Captain of the icebreaker ‘Polarstern’, to the musical journey of award-winning composer Lera Aurbach, which led to her acclaimed symphonic work ‘Arctica’.

Our guests reflect on issues surrounding climate change, sustainability, and equality, and share their hopes and concerns for the Arctic’s future. By viewing ocean change through this human lens, we hope to raise awareness of our collective connection to this frozen ocean.

This podcast is an output from The EU4Ocean Coalition for Ocean Literacy. Supported by the European Commission, this bottom-up, inclusive initiative aims at uniting the voices of Europeans to make the ocean a concern of everyone.

Find out more at www.eu-oceanliteracy.eu and connect using #EU4Ocean and #IfOceansCouldSpeak