“Never forget your heavy duty warm clothes before stepping out into the open as the Arctic winter temperature will be around minus 30 degree,” Arctic expert A.A. Mohamed Hatha cautioned his student K.M. Mujeeb Rahiman, who is part of an eight-member Arctic winter expedition team that will leave the country on March 20 from Goa.
Mr. Rahiman is a post doctoral fellow at the Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry of the Cochin University of Science and Technology.
“Bon Voyage Mujeeb Rahiman,” greeted a computer print out on the notice board placed near the staircase of the department.
The Indian team is expected to reach the International Arctic Research Base at Ny-Alesund, Norway, on March 22.
The delegation consisting of scientists from Viswa Bharati University, Kolkata; the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata; and the National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi; will stay there till April 19.
During the Arctic expedition, the Indian researchers will study phytoplankton productivity and the ice-binding proteins of algae among other things.
“Enough number of winter clothing and snow boots would be stocked at Himadri, the Indian Arctic research station. There would be no sunlight round the month and the days would be extended nights. One needs to quickly adjust to the life there,” Mr. Rahiman was all ears as Mr. Hatha, who led the Indian contingent during the summer expedition in 2009, explained.
In his capacity as the former team leader, Mr. Hatha will be briefing the other members of the Indian contingent at Goa on Saturday.
What worries Mr. Rahiman, who is to go on his first ever overseas trip, is the Arctic menu dominated by pork.
“I don't take pork and will have to settle for some fish-based dishes,” Mr. Rahiman said. “The four-month-long winter season, which starts in December is the hibernation time for most of the Arctic animals. Life comes to a standstill during the freezing climate. Polar bears and foxes stay indoors for conserving energy. But birds will be out there. During the summer expedition, we could see reindeers, foxes and large number of birds,” Mr. Hatha said.
If the weather conditions are conducive and snow ships available, extensive sample collections would be carried out from the four sites identified earlier.
Every team member would be hoping to make good use of the 29-day-long stay there for scientific purposes, Mr. Rahiman said.
