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Longyearbyen – Tromsø Research Cruise

Anju joins R/V Helmer Hansen research cruise for sampling.

The Longyearbyen-Tromsø research cruise onboard R/V – Helmer Hansen initiated by The Arctic University Museum of Norway embarked on its journey from Longyearbyen, Svalbard on the 3rd of July 2024 and ended in Tromsø, Norway on the 10th of July 2024.

Tokt stations sampled during the cruise. Foto: Andreas Altenburger
Chaetognatha (Eukrohnia sp.). Foto: Anju Hembrom
The research vessel travelled through 7 different stations using Plankton net, boxcorer, triangular dredge and gravity corer suited for the requirement of different participants of the research cruise. Anju was interested in collecting zooplankton samples, mainly Chaetognaths (arrow worms) for her PhD project.

She successfully collected two species of Chaetognaths Parasagitta elegans and Eukrohnia hamata. Other interesting samples included Clione sp. (sea angel), pelagic gastropods of Limacina sp. and a Pycnogonid (sea spider) Nymphon sp. as well. 

Anju sorting through the collected samples. Foto: Vanessa Pitusi

The samples collected will be processed and will contribute towards her doctoral thesis. Overall, it was a very successful cruise with good weather and sampling.