Spending January at the Umeå Marine Science Centre (UMF), I was pleasantly surprised by the frozen sea and sub-zero temperatures. Even if it had been described to me before, it was still a unique experience to face the new year of 2025. Some views from the sunrises and sunsets and the frozen Gulf of Bothnia (which separates Sweden and Finland). The centre – known as UMF – specialises in research into Arctic environments as well as a diverse portfolio of international research from around the world; including the blue carbon in southeast Asia project, phytoplankton dynamics, chemical oceanography, research into coral reefs in Mayotte (Indian ocean) and multidisciplinary aspects across a range of marine science and social science disciplines. Coralline algal research is also a key research focus and views from the office window are a constant source of inspiration in the unique environment of the sub-Arctic. The centre has its own hovercraft which specialises in going on the frozen Gulf of Bothnia as well numerous vessels.
The region has a large temperature range across the year of over 60 degrees C and the impacts of climate change can be felt quite intensely in this part of the world. The region is experiencing milder temperatures than previous winters and effects can be felt most prominently near the coastal areas, (in contrast to the nearby mountains). This affects the movement of reindeer and indigenous communities in the region.
My experience of the outdoors has been challenging- having not seen so much snow outside of the mountain ranges. I am very thankful to those who helped me brave the outdoors- especially those icy conditions!!! Special thanks to Dr. Heidi Burdett for lending me some-much-needed-spikes for my snow boots! Stay tuned for some updates about our project, perspectives and more over the coming year. Learn more about UMF at their webpage:
https://www.umu.se/en/umea-marine-sciences-centre
and the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (EMG) at Umeå University:
https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-ecology-and-environmental-science
