Sailing fOr Science

“The Science We Need for the ocean We want”

(Unesco Ocean Decade)

Microplastic

Cosmic rays

Marine Archeology

Drone Mapping

e-DNA

Lightweight expeditions can fill critical gaps by accessing hard-to-reach areas, conducting rapid-response studies, and fostering public engagement through citizen science

our approach

With a unique blend of research, collaboration, and communication, we bring together scientists, technologists, communicators, and volunteers to amplify the impact of research while promoting sustainability, collaboration, and innovation.

We harness the special advantages of small, adaptable vessels equipped with off-the-shelf and consumer-level instruments, as well as open-source, customizable technologies.

This approach enables broader participation, cost-effective operations, and reduced environmental impact. It makes scientific exploration more inclusive and accessible, complementing traditional high-end research tools and facilities.

Our initiatives also provide unparalleled opportunities for integrating education and outreach, allowing the wider audience to hear about scientific endeavours in real time.

Plastic and Microplastic Mapping

Plastic debris can come in all shapes and sizes, but microplastic particles – smaller than 5 millimeters in size – can be particularly harmful. An estimated 170 trillion microplastic particles are floating on the surface of the world’s oceans, threatening both marine life and humans.

As an emerging field of study, there is still a lot to learn about microplastics and their impact and we are eager to contribute!

Our Polarquest2018 expedition has already assessed the presence of microplastic debris on the ocean surface and macro debris stranded on beaches in the Northern and North-Eastern regions of the Svalbard archipelago, very rarely accessible due to sea ice.

Members of Our Fleet will soon contribute data to the study the North Atlantic Garbage Patch.

 

Read our scientific research

Our Previous Expeditions

Study of Cosmic Rays

Cosmic rays are charged particles that originate from various sources within and beyond our solar system, and that constantly bombard the Earth from all directions. Scientists have been studying them for decades, but some cosmic rays still defy conventional explanations, fuelling ongoing investigations. They are a rare opportunity to study matter that came from beyond our solar system, or even beyond our galaxy, advancing our understanding of the universe.

In our expeditions, we measured charged cosmic radiation using simple instruments built in collaboration with CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) by high school students supervised by scientists. The project had a strong education and communication dimension, with the involvement of 18-year-old students from Norway, Switzerland and Italy. The detector onboard Nanuq took data almost continuously, integrating about 861 hours of data and measuring the saturation of the cosmic ray flux at ground level near the North Pole.

 

Read our scientific research

Marine Archeology

Looking for the Airship Italia

Polarquest’s inspiration is the tragic polar expedition of Airship ITALIA, carried out in 1928 by polar pioneer and aeronautical engineer Umberto Nobile. During our 2018 expedition on boat sailing vessel Nanuq, we reached the geographical coordinates from where the first SOS message was radioed by ITALIA crew member Giuseppe Biagi (81°14 Nm 25°25 E). In this point, we celebrated the first and only commemoration ceremony ever held in the open Arctic Ocean.

Our experts deployed an innovative 3-D multibeam sonar to search for any potential metallic wreck of the lost Airship, following the route considered one of the most likely search paths, based on Umberto Nobile’s indications after the crash. This was the first documented targeted attempt at locating the wreck of airship ITALIA 90 years later. Norbit Subsea analysed the data collected, and while we did not spot the wreck of the ITALIA main truss (a 100 m. long metallic piece) we discovered the tracks of ancient underwater glaciers whose existance was still unknown.

The search goes on!  A group of experts is trying to restrict the search area, based on the accurate analysis of historical data and the evolution of marine currents and winds over the years. We’ll raise the anchor in 2028, on the centenary of the ITALIA crash. Stay tuned for more!

Read our scientific research

DRONE MAPPING

We have a dedicated drone team that can deploy a fleet of small drones for different kinds of mapping. Drone mapping can be used to quickly and accurately survey large areas of land, including remote and difficult-to-access locations.

On the coast around the Svalbard archipelago, we deployed a fleet of three small drones (two mini-drones below 2 kgs of max take-off weight, one micro-drone, below 300 grams) in several scenarios, above 78 degrees N latitude. Using our low-cost drones and citizen science sensors, we were able to carry out expeditive, high-resolution mapping and thermal and near-infrared observations of remote and scarcely visited areas all around the archipelago.

Read the scientific papers

    E-DNA

    Environmental DNA – or E-DNA – is DNA that is collected from a variety of environmental samples, such as water or ice. As various organisms interact with the environment, DNA is expelled and accumulates in their surroundings from various sources. This e-DNA can give scientists unique insight into the behaviour and health of local fauna and flora without any direct interaction.

    Polarquest2021’s E-DNA research project collected samples in Svalbard fjords. Samples were analyzed with a new non-invasive e-DNA innovative instrument. This was the first step in setting up a portable analysis procedure aboard small ships, allowing scientists to take real-time measurements of biodiversity as an indicator of climate change effects.