Old friends, new friends

15 March 2024

After almost two months, beginning in mid-January 2024, the PICCOLO research cruise returned to Chile. Here, Prof Karen Heywood shares her thoughts on the expedition.

A woman in an orange snowsuit jumps on snowy ground with her hands above her head. In the background there is a red ship and people working on the ice nearby.

The PICCOLO field campaign was more successful than we ever dared to hope. We were delighted to achieve all our objectives. It was exhausting, but exhilarating. On such a voyage, everyone works seven days a week for two months, many people on 12 hour shifts, so everyone deserves some time to relax now. But we’re excited to begin looking at the data together in the coming weeks and months, and we're already planning a workshop for September.

Footprints over a snowy expanse of ground. The sea can be seen in the distance.

The UK’s new polar research ship is an excellent platform for multidisciplinary science. When we sailed back into port in Punta Arenas, we were thrilled to see the UK’s old polar ship, the Noosfera (formerly the RRS James Clark Ross, now owned by the Ukrainian Antarctic programme) alongside us in the dock. We were invited to look round. Many of us have sailed on that ship many times, and felt quite nostalgic about the old ship – but we came back thinking that the new ship is so much better, with more and better laboratories and enhanced scientific facilities. Old friend, new friend.

You can have the best facilities in the world, but what makes a field campaign successful is the team of people.

Prof Karen Heywood (UEA)

Three women in orange jumpsuits kneel on snowy ground near a pole which has been driven down through ice.

Best of all were the team of people onboard. You can have the best facilities in the world, but what makes a field campaign successful is the team of people. Our PICCOLO science team was enthusiastic, friendly, and always good humoured. There were no complaints from anyone, even when we were asking people to work overnight or to omit their own instrument from an upcoming deployment. Everyone was positive and happy to help others. Furthermore the atmosphere onboard was excellent, and all the officers and crew were helpful, interested and cheerful day and night.

On a personal level, I’ve been glad to get home, and to meet my grandson for the first time!