After an over 30-day expedition, during which an international team of scientists studied the impact of the Baltic Sea on Arctic waters, r/v Oceanograf - the research vessel of the University of Gdańsk - arrived at the pier in Sopot. The ceremony marking the end of the BaltArctic Research Cruise was attended by the Rector of UG, prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski, the Rector of the University of Cádiz, prof. Casimiro Mantell Serrano, the General Coordinator of the SEA-EU alliance, prof. Fidel Echevarría, and the Deputy Mayor of the City of Sopot, Magdalena Cieślik. The citizens of Sopot had the opportunity to see the most modern research unit on the Baltic Sea up close.
The celebrations began at midday on the Sopot pier, where the r/v Oceanograf was moored to the accompaniment of maritime music. After the crew had disembarked from the ship, the captain, inż. Artur Kamiński, gave the Rector a report summarising the entire expedition. During the 33 days, the UG ship stopped at 16 research stations, one more than originally planned, sailed 2,900 nautical miles, and visited five ports.
photo by Alan Stocki
‘This is a great moment, the second in the history of our vessel, when we welcome r/v Oceanograf after its international peregrinations in waters all over Europe,' said prof. Piotr Stepnowski. ‘This voyage further proves that the University of Gdańsk has cooperation written into its DNA. (...) There is no better ambassador of Polish science than the r/v Oceanograf. Seneca said: "If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favourable”. We at the University of Gdańsk know exactly where we sail - and we will stick to this excellently chosen direction.’
The Rector also thanked the City of Sopot for the opportunity to moor ‘to the most beautiful pier in the world’, emphasising the University of Gdańsk is embedded in the entire Tricity. He then welcomed the scientists from the SEA-EU alliance, who for the past few dozen days have been studying the impact of the waters flowing out of the Baltic Sea towards the Arctic. He also thanked those involved in the organisation of the BaltArctic Research Cruise: the two captains, inż. Artur Kamiński and mgr inż. Andrzej Wawrzyniak, the leader of the research team, dr hab. Agata Weydmann-Zwolicka, prof. UG, and the Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, dr hab. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, prof. UG, who coordinated the whole endeavour.
After the UG Rector's speech, the Deputy Mayor of the City of Sopot, Magdalena Cieślik, took the floor. She congratulated the entire r/v Oceanograf team on what they had accomplished, namely the realisation of their research objectives. ‘I am glad that you have returned safely to us. Welcome to Sopot!’
‘Our goal was to determine the spread of the Baltic waters all the way to the Arctic areas - and with waters, the spread of contaminants, including toxic and hazardous substances. We also continued research related to air pollution, as well as to the thinnest layer of surface water: the microlayer,’ dr hab. Anita Lewandowska, prof. UG, a participant in the cruise, summarised the project from a scientific perspective. ‘We still have months ahead of us in the laboratory to process data and write scientific publications - before we know the first scientific results of this cruise. We hope not only to continue this project but also numerous sub-projects that have already started to happen. We look forward to further SEA-EU-related activities - and the next cruise - and to continuing our research.
The SEA-EU alliance's General Coordinator, prof. Fidel Echevarría, thanked the UG authorities for the opportunity to take part in the cruise - from Malmö to Sopot - on the University's ship and congratulated the University of Gdańsk for having such an excellent research unit. He recalled that this was already the second SEA-EU mission of Oceanograf, during which the ship had become a 'floating university'. He stressed that the voyage provided an opportunity to visit partner universities in SEA-EU. ‘Such undertakings become a symbol of what we want to build within SEA-EU.’ In his speech, he acknowledged not only the scientists but also the efforts of the crew and the ship's technicians, as well as the work of Marcel Jakubowski, who was responsible for communication regarding the voyage. ‘The ocean has no boundaries. This ship will continue its course, responding to new challenges, with new people on board, with new hopes: just as our SEA-EU alliance, I am convinced, will achieve the goals we set for ourselves from day one.’
photo by Alan Stocki
After the official part of the event, the UG ship opened to the people of Sopot, who could see how research is conducted on the most modern research vessel in the Baltic Sea. R/v Oceanograf is a multi-purpose vessel with a double-hull catamaran-type construction, designed to conduct interdisciplinary analysis of the Baltic Sea environment. The vessel houses specialised laboratories for biological, chemical, physical and geological research. It can take 20 people on board, is capable of sailing at a maximum speed of 12 knots, and has a range of 2,500 nautical miles.
After the ceremony, the r/v Oceanograf left the Sopot pier for its permanent mooring in Gdynia.
