Poseidon Announces New YouTube Series: “Polar Moments- Arctic Expedition”
North Pole Cruise of Don Perovich, Geophysicist, Faces of the Polar World
Poseidon Expeditions is the go-to company for cruising into far-flung worlds of snow and ice. Scientists, scholars and filmmakers are often invited on board to share their knowledge of fragile Arctic regions with guests who, on any given cruise, may represent up to 18 different flags.
“By inviting world-renowned specialists to join our Arctic cruises, we’re accomplishing several purposes,” said Poseidon founder Nikolay Saveliev. “First, passengers have a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and receive first-hand answers based on fact and science. Second, these specialists are often working on their own projects which they are happy to share with guests. Third, their presence and enthusiasm boosts our mission of creating ambassadors for the wildlife and ecosystems of the Arctic regions.”
Poseidon Expeditions is also bringing these renowned specialists to an ever-growing audience through YouTube. The first in an ongoing series called “Polar Moments: Arctic Expedition” are already available on YouTube.
While on a cruise to the North Pole, the first in the video series features Don Perovich, a geophysicist whose specialty is the Arctic sea ice cover. This climate change scientist created the Ice Mass Balance Buoy that measures ice thickness and temperature data over time. The central goal of his research is to understand the interaction of sunlight with sea ice. He uses this data to study the changes in Arctic sea ice cover. As he explains on camera, his work measures the depth, water temperatures and salinity of melt ponds in the ice. Information is assimilated into models to help improve predictions about the future of sea ice.
Perovich is a professor of engineering at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH and a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. He has received the Department of the Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the National Science Foundation Arctic Service Award, the Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal, and the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory lifetime achievement award.
A second video features Huw Lewis-Jones, a gifted polar historian, raconteur and author, who joined a team of naturalist guides on a cruise to the North Pole. He holds a doctoral degree from Cambridge University and has served as Curator at the Scott Polar Research Institute and the National Maritime Museum in London.
A third video reflects the work of James Balog. Since 2007 he has been reviewing the effects of warming trends on the Arctic. This Emmy Award-winning, National Geographic photographer explores the relationship between humans and nature. Since the early 1980s he has photographed endangered polar ice. In January 2016 he began production on a feature-length documentary film, Life Tectonic (working title), exploring the environmental effects of the Anthropocene.