2011 News

Kuwaiti girl to chill in Antarctica ... It’s all about Earth — Maryam Al-Joaan joins Students on Ice

Published: July 15, 2010
Nihal Sharaf

KUWAIT CITY, July 15: Antarctica is considered to be one of the coldest areas of our planet and temperatures can reach to -30 degrees Celsius and below. However, Maryam Al-Joaan is brave enough and tremendously excited to be heading off to the South Pole next year, as many from the Gulf region may never be fortunate enough to embark on this kind of adventure.

She is the first Kuwaiti woman to be selected as a representative of Kuwait Science Club for the Canadian expedition ‘Students on Ice’ bound for Antarctica in February 2011. It is a journey she believes will be a unique educational opportunity, for her and the world.

“Antarctica is a place of extremes where we can witness an isolated ecosystem and realize how fragile planet Earth is. We owe Earth the responsibility to protect it. Therefore, I believe strongly in protecting our environment. I decided to choose “Protect Earth, Go Blue!” as my motto of this expedition. I want to inspire and motivate young Kuwaitis to change their behavior towards protecting the environment, especially the ocean,” said Al-Joaan, speaking to the Arab Times.

She added that the expedition will take approximately two weeks depending on the weather conditions and it will take off from Argentina on Feb 12, 2011. “I will publish an online journal about the expedition on http://maryamonice.wordpress.com/,” she stated.

Apart from being a member of Kuwait Science Club at the Department of Astronomy & Space Sciences, where she worked on space education and public outreach programs, currently Al-Joaan is pursuing a major in Earth and Space Sciences in a university in Bremen, Germany. In the meantime, she is working as an intern at the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy in Brussels, Belgium.

According to Al-Joaan, seeing climate change effects in Antarctica will increase her knowledge and understanding of her interests, therefore she applied directly to ‘Students on Ice’. It is a ship-based expedition that offers prospective students the opportunity to enroll in one of several University-level field courses, and experience one of the most exceptional places on Earth.

The organization selects participants based on an eligibility criterion such as interests in Antarctica and in the environment, strong academics, leadership qualities, active involvement in the community and a desire to make a difference.

“I previously participated in various oceanographic and geological field excursions to locations such as the Ries impact crater, Gastlosen and Harz Mountains, Helgoland Island, and the North Sea. Probably the closest experience I can relate to this Antarctic expedition is my excursion to the North Sea where I was part of the research vessel “Heincke” under supervision of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI),” said Al-Joaan.

At the end of August, Al-Joaan will also be heading off to the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences at Tjärnö, Sweden, where she will practice more on using the basic oceanographic in-situ measurements, data collection techniques, analysis and interpretation of obtained data.

Al-Joaan added that, on ‘Students on Ice’, students will make frequent field trips to the Antarctic mainland via Zodiac inflatables from the main ship. These landings will be supplemented by lectures, seminars and lab exercises in dedicated space aboard the expedition vessel, the M/V Ushuaia.

“Each student should enroll in one of the university courses that are offered on the ship. I intend to take the “Antarctica and the Earth System” which is a field-based course hat will cross the Southern Ocean from Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula, and visit multiple landing sites. My course projects will involve oceanographic sampling, and shore- based work,” she explained.

There will be approximately 70 participating University students, and 20 University faculty, scientists, experts, and educators. However, both “Students on Ice” and “Kuwait Science Club” are nonprofit organizations. So Al-Joaan’s next step is to look for funding to cover the expedition and travel fees, and special clothing for extreme cold environment such as Antarctica.

The Arab Times Staff wish Al-Joaan a wonderful journey and a safe return.

Original source taken from: http://tinyurl.com/4t7utzb