Hi! I'm Laura Schmidt, and I am part of the logistics and safety team for the MOSAiC Expedition. While I was on Polarstern, my daily routine was adapted to the timetable of the scientists. We met daily at 6:30 pm for the "general meeting" in the Polarstern cinema room, where we discussed and planned the next day. We always took into account the current weather conditions. Things change quickly in the Arctic, and sometimes we had to adjust our plans accordingly. Safety and protection of both polar bears and scientists comes first. This is why we had a "bridge watch" all the time. The bridge watch includes the overview and coordination of all teams working on the ice as well as a “Lookout” at the stern (back) of the ship. And, of course, each scientific group had its own bear guard!
Since the bridge watch cannot cover the whole area with binoculars, the bearguard in the stern hut is necessary. Should a polar bear encounter occur or something else happen on the ice, we are the fastest on the ice from the stern of the ship and can therefore react quickly.
Each polar bear watch on the ice lasts about three to six hours.
