Adaptation.

That was the theme of the Arctic Future Pathfinders course on the One Ocean Expedition for Drs. Maxime Geoffroy and Frédéric Cyr. 

“The keyword we had during the two weeks was adaptation, adaptation, adaptation,” said Dr. Cyr, who joined the expedition team in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, en route to Anchorage, Alaska. Dr. Cyr is a research scientist in the Marine Institute’s Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research. “When you’re working in the Arctic, you have to adapt to the changing environment.” 

The program is a partnership with the Arctic University of Norway and University of the Arctic, where students from Memorial University and around the world are invited on an unforgettable journey aboard the Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl as it sails through the Northwest Passage. 

The immersive experience is designed primarily for master’s and doctoral students aspiring to become leaders in Arctic research, but undergraduate students are also welcome to apply. 

Change of plans

Dr. Geoffroy joined leg one of the expedition as cruise leader and educator.

He, along with 60 graduate students and 20 educators, embarked from Nuuk, Greenland, on Aug. 5, with the goal of ending in Whittier, Alaska, on Oct. 4. 

“The idea was to have two, one-month legs at sea and sail through the Northwest Passage,” said Dr. Geoffroy, who is also a research scientist in Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research. 

However, due to sea ice conditions, the leg one team was blocked from entering the Passage.

They then rerouted their course and headed for Newfoundland. 

With the crew disembarked in St. John’s and leg one concluded, the vessel headed south and sailed through the Panama Canal without researchers or students on board. 

It was then decided leg two of the course would continue on land rather than at sea. 

“You can’t have a course about the Arctic in the Panama Canal,” Dr. Geoffroy said of the change of plan.

Learning at sea

The Arctic Future Pathfinders course brings together students and researchers from around the world to explore, research and learn about the future of the Arctic. 

While on board, the students and educators work in shifts doing deck work such as cleaning, keeping watch and taking turns at the helm. 

“We slept in hammocks on the ship,” said Dr. Geoffroy. “It was busy but interesting to be aboard a tall ship and learning how to sail it.” 

As part of their teaching and learning for the course, students and educators collected zooplankton, fish distribution, temperature and acoustic data.

The goal was to have data and samples of various kinds to provide an overview of activity in the Northwest Passage. 

In addition to research and data collection, Dr. Geoffroy taught a session on marine biology. 

“On the day I was teaching and going to talk about mesopelagic fish — the deepwater fish that make bioluminescence — we pulled up one of these fish from our nets.”

Also known as lanternfish, some of the fish are recognizable by their large teeth and ability to detach their jaws. They typically live at depths of 400 metres or more. 

“Everybody was excited because they had never seen one before,” Dr. Geoffroy said. “That’s why these in situ courses are so important. It’s one thing to see these species in a PowerPoint slide, but it adds more value to really see it.” 

Learning on land

Dr. Cyr, along with 29 students and 20 educators, joined the second leg of the expedition.

The group spent time in Cambridge Bay before flying to Anchorage. 

“I’ve studied the oceanography of the Arctic, but this was my first time setting foot there,” he said. “It was really eye-opening for me.” 

Shifting to a land-based experience, students and educators engaged in classroom learning and knowledge sharing with locals and elders from the community. 

During classroom days, Dr. Cyr taught the students lessons in Arctic oceanography and marine biology.

“It was multidisciplinary in terms of what we were teaching, but we were also really immersed in the culture of the community.”

Members of the community came together to plan educational activities for the group to participate in, including museum visits, fishing and learning about the community’s history. 

Dr. Cyr recalls one of his favourite memories, which was when the group gifted a model of the vessel Maud to the residents. 

Having sunk in 1930 but still visible in the bay, the Maud was a longtime tourist attraction and a focal point in Cambridge Bay.

In 2017, a Norwegian team came to raise the shipwreck and begin the process of sailing it back to its home country of Norway. 

The organizers brought a model of the ship to the community to give to the elders, an emotional moment, says Dr. Cyr.

“There was a ceremony, and they performed a dance. One man, when he realized what the model was, started crying because his parents had gotten married on that boat.”

Community connection

The researchers agree that the course’s success would not be possible without the collaboration of the community members and local educational partners, such as the Nunavut Arctic College, Polar Knowledge Canada and the University of Alaska Anchorage. 

Dr. Geoffroy says their partners worked hard to ensure the program could continue after the seagoing expedition was rerouted.  

“Collaboration with locals in the communities made this a rewarding experience for students and us as educators,” he said. 

“No matter the setting — at sea or on land — this was a valuable experience for everyone involved,” added Dr. Cyr.