"Imagine living on board a research ship"
The mysteries of the sea fascinate young and old. When the research vessel Skagerak opened its doors to the public during the International Science Festival in Gothenburg, the seats were quickly filled. Around 300 people came on board to meet the scientists and crew.
"Imagine living on a research vessel. How exciting to go far away, see icebergs and go diving."
This was the opinion of one of the young visitors who took the opportunity to visit the University of Gothenburg's state-of-the-art research vessel. And he is not alone in his appreciation of Skagerak. Throughout Saturday, groups of interested people were given tours of the ship, learning about measuring instruments, sediment samples and how a high-tech vessel deals with icebergs and high waves.
Many curious people peered into the cabins and laboratories and tried out the captain's chair on the bridge. Even a heavy hailstorm did not deter them - the free tickets ran out and by 4 pm around 300 people had explored the ship, which had docked at Frihamnspiren in honour of the day.
Great interest in the sea and marine research
"It is wonderful to see the interest in the sea, and it is also so much fun to tell people about the marine research we do aboard Skagerak."
This is the opinion of Linnea Kivi, who is currently studying for a Master's degree in Marine Sciences at the University of Gothenburg. She specialises in marine geology and has been on Skagerak to collect sediment and water samples.
"Skagerak means a lot to us students. It is invaluable to be able to go out to sea on such a modern research vessel."
A way to reach future scientists
Matilda Hultman, student advisor at the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Gothenburg, was also at Skagerak. She talked about all the possibilities for studying the sea and nature at the University of Gothenburg and had the opportunity to hand out a lot of brochures.
"These are perfect opportunities to reach many of the scientists of the future," she says.
Captain Joakim Edvardsson was among those on the bridge to welcome the guests. He spoke about the high-tech solutions that enable research expeditions in harsh environments such as Greenland and Svalbard.
"It is great to meet the public in this way. We hope it will make more people curious about the sea."
Text by Agnes Faxén