Manama: Maryam Al Joaan is set to become the first Kuwaiti girl to reach Antarctica after she was 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 that will be a unique educational opportunity, Maryam told Kuwaiti daily Kuwait Times.
"Antarctica is a place of extremes where we can witness an isolated ecosystem and realise 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 behaviour towards protecting the environment, especially the ocean," she said.
The expedition will take about two weeks to complete, depending on the weather conditions. It will take off from Argentina on February 12, 2011 and Maryam plans publish an online journal about the expedition - http://maryamonice.wordpress.com.
Apart from being a member of Kuwait Science Club at the Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences, where she worked on space education and public outreach programmes, currently Maryam is pursuing a major in Earth and Space Sciences in a university in Bremen, Germany. She's also working as an intern at the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy in Brussels, Belgium.
She says seeing the effect of climate change in Antarctica will increase her knowledge and understanding of her interests.
"I therefore applied directly to 'Students on Ice'. It's 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," she said.
The organisation selects participants based on eligibility criterion such as interests in Antarctica and the environment, strong academic and leadership qualities, active involvement in the community and a wish to make a difference.
"I have previously taken part 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 the supervision of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)," Maryam said.
At the end of August, she will be heading off to the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences at Tjärnö, Sweden, where she will practice using basic oceanographic measurements, data collection techniques, analysis and interpretation of data.
"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," she said.
"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 that 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 added.
Around 70 University students and 20 university scientists, experts, and educators will take part in the expedition.
Both "Students on Ice" and "Kuwait Science Club" are nonprofit organisations and Maryam's next step is to look for funding to cover the expedition costs and the special clothing she needs for extreme cold environments such as Antarctica.
