AN international research programme in the Arctic Circle has called upon the expertise of a Dawlish man.

Ian Brown, a marine chemist from Dawlish, was among the 38 researchers who took the trip to Earth’s most Northern region for the Synoptic Arctic Survey 2021.

Conducted by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, a Swedish government agency that organises and supports research expeditions to the polar regions, the Synoptic Arctic Survey focused on obtaining an overall picture of the Arctic marine ecosystems.

Regarding the expedition, Ian said: ‘It was all about mapping the current status of the Arctic as a benchmark to establish any future changes for a whole host of biological and physical parameters.

‘My particular interest is in climatically active gasses such as methane and nitrous oxide and how prolific or not these gases are in the water column, atmosphere and ice.’

Departing from the Swedish port of Helsingborg on July 26 2021, Ian travelled aboard the Oden, an icebreaking and research vessel built in 1988 for the Swedish Maritime Administration, and arrived at the North Pole on August 16 2021.

Throughout the journey the Oden stopped off several times at key locations which saw Ian alongside many others collect and record their respective samples and measurements.

The Swedish-led expedition into the Arctic Circle included researchers from across the globe, with researchers coming from the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, the United States, Canada and the Netherlands.

It was not Ian’s first foray into the frozen land, however, as he has visited the Arctic five times previously for similar purposes and it wasn’t his first encounter with the planet’s largest land predator – the polar bear.

‘Polar bears are fairly common, especially at the edge of the ice where the seals are.

‘We were a big, dirty, smelly ship and on this trip there were periods where the ship would be stationary for 24 hours or more so the bears can smell us and tend to investigate,’ added Ian.

Ian has lived in Dawlish since he was two years old and currently works for Plymouth Marine Laboratory – a charity that strives to innovate marine science so to ensure a sustainable future for our ocean.