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08.01.21 | Welcome (back) to the blog site of our current cruise on R/V Sonne: SO280, a.k.a IceDivA!

This morning around nine o’clock we left the harbour of Emden again to research the Atlantic. Connecting to our last cruise in summer 2020, the IceAGE3 expedition, where we explored the northern part of the Atlantic around Iceland, we now head for the southernmost point of our IceAGE measurement transect to continue the scientific journey towards the equator.

After two weeks in self isolation over Christmas at home and three days in the quarantine hotel and fortunately two negative Covid-19 tests for everyone, we were allowed to board R/V Sonne on 6 January 2021. It then took us the rest of time before leaving to unpack the containers with the gears, instruments and lab equipment and getting started.


Alexander Kienecke (Biologist at Senckenberg) and Frederic Bonk (Uni Oldenburg) securing the dangerous goods | © Mia Schumacher, GEOMAR
Alexander Kienecke (Biologist at Senckenberg) and Frederic Bonk (Uni Oldenburg) securing the dangerous goods | © Mia Schumacher, GEOMAR
Sven Hoffmann (Technician at Senckenberg) storing empty bottles waiting to be filled with deep sea sediment | © Mia Schumacher, GEOMAR
Sven Hoffmann (Technician at Senckenberg) storing empty bottles waiting to be filled with deep sea sediment | © Mia Schumacher, GEOMAR

R/V Sonne is the largest and most modern German research vessel.
R/V Sonne is the largest and most modern German research vessel.
R/V Sonne is the largest and most modern German research vessel.
R/V Sonne is the largest and most modern German research vessel.

Now we are steaming towards the English channel and, depending on the weather conditions, will probably reach our first station on 12 January – at about 45°N and 21° W.

Passing through the English channel in beautiful weather condition!
Passing through the English channel in beautiful weather condition!