IRTG Travel Grants Programme

PhD researchers Wiebke Körtke, Zerlina Hofmann and Finn Heukamp presented their research at the Arctic-Subarctic Ocean Fluxes (ASOF) conference in Las Palmas

What at first glance looked like sea ice on the ocean (out of the plane) fast turned out to be the whitecaps of waves. Which is, of course, much likelier at the location we headed to – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. However, the sea ice would have fitted better to the conference topic: Arctic-Subarctic Ocean Fluxes (ASOF).

The conference started with a nice icebreaker at the conference venue located directly at the beach, which turned out to be perfect for a short swim during the lunch breaks. The science inside was packed with more ocean, but a much colder one, even if the start was located within the Atlantic Ocean. From there, we moved further towards the north, to the Atlantic inflow regions and the Arctic Ocean itself. For us (AC)³ attendees (Zerlina, Finn, Torsten, Wiebke), this meant giving our presentations directly on day one. We all got interesting questions afterwards, and since the conference was relatively small, there were also many good opportunities to talk and discuss our science and projects. The following two days were likewise packed with scientific talks about different aspects of the Arctic Ocean. Additionally, posters were available to have even more possibilities for getting in contact with other researchers. The conference ended with a more touristic excursion around the northern part of Gran Canaria, which again allowed networking and discussing in a really relaxed atmosphere.

After three days full of science and some beach moments, we returned to Bremen with new ideas and inspirations for our future work. Also, the possibility of joining an in-person conference (for Zerlina, even the first one) and thus easily connecting with people was a highlight for us.

A list of all funded travel grants can be found on the IRTG page here.