I deeply respect and admire my colleague Martin Hartley for his work in the Arctic and I would like to share with you the amazing work of the Catlin Arctic Survey.

This year survey is focused on what is widely considered to be the ‘other’ carbon problem beyond climate change….that of ocean change. The Survey is undertaking vital research into how greenhouse gases could affect the marine life of the Arctic Ocean, including some species that can be described as the core of life on our planet.

Bringing together marine biologists, oceanographers and polar explorers, this international collaboration aims to study the impact of increased carbon dioxide absorption by our seas. This is changing the chemistry of the water, potentially leading to a phenomenon known as ocean acidification.

Within only a few decades, an increase in ocean acidity may cause seawater to become corrosive to the shells, skeletons and armour-plating of many marine life forms, and could seriously undermine the growth of coral reefs.

Since CO₂ is more easily absorbed in cold waters, the changes highlighted by scientific research in the Arctic Ocean could act as an early-warning system for change around the globe.

Following work begun by the Catlin Arctic Survey 2009, more measurements and observations will also be collected on the thickness of the sea ice. This information is vital to understand the impact of ice cover reduction on acidification as more water becomes exposed to increased CO₂ absorption.

Three teams are instrumental to this mission: a group of leading scientists operating from our polar Ice Base under the guidance of Arctic experts; an Explorer Team gathering complementary data over a much greater area across the floating sea ice and a 24/7 Operations Team based in the UK.

The concept of explorers working with scientists is at the heart of the project. This year, the three-strong Explorer Team is led by Ann Daniels, with polar specialists Charlie Paton and Martin Hartley in support. Heading out on foot, hauling 120kg sledges across 500km of unpredictable, shifting and disintegrating ice rubble fields, ice ridges and ice floes, these experienced surface explorers are braving a back-breaking quest lasting up to 50 days. During this time they will collect samples from the ocean’s water column and make vital observations and measurements of the ice’s thickness.

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To learn more about the project

http://www.catlinarcticsurvey.com

http://www.martinhartleypolar.com

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My dear friend Cameron Davidson is involved in a humanitarian project for the comunity of Haiti and I’d like to share this with you.

Cameron Davidson:

I am adding a section to my AerialStock.com site for prints. The profits from the sale of these images will go to the – Community Coalition for Haiti, an NGO that I’ve shot for since 1999 and am a member of the board of directors. The views include low-level and close-in of the Capitol and Supreme Court in the now prohibited DC flight zone, New York City, The Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the American West, New Zealand and the Everglades.

The money will be used in two ways: to purchase seeds for farmers who lost their crops last fall when Haiti was walloped by three hurricanes in a row and for a feeding program for a small orphanage in the Central Highlands. A member of our board developed an intense feeding program that is working wonders with malnourished infants. One-hundred percent of the profits will be used in Haiti.

Please share this gallery with others or embed the code into your blog or web site.

To order a print: Please go to AerialStock.com and choose an image. Ordering prints is easy and seamless.
Thank you.

Here is the code:

http://archive.aerialstock.com/c/cameron/gallery-show/G0000xH8tT6_UZzY

Tags: Aerials, prints, pro bono