Two members of the Institute for the Study of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wild Animals (ITAW) of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany, boarded ship last weekend for a month-long expedition to the Antarctic. The two scientists will work aboard the research vessel "Polarstern" (North Star) for five weeks gathering data on the occurrence and distribution of whales in the Antarctic. During the passage, Linn Sophia Lehnert and Cornelia Schmidt will study the distribution of the Antarctic minke whales, which to this day are the object of intensive hunting. Reliable information on the estimated population of these animals is essential for their protection. In addition to the two ITAW colleagues, the team includes two scientists from IMARES, the Dutch marine research institute of the University of Wageningen, Hans Verdaat and Steve Geelhoed; Dr. Kristina Lehnert of the Helmholtz Centre in Geesthacht; and two members of the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Dr. Stephanie Plön and Ian Gray. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection (BMELV) and is under the direction of the head of ITAW, Dr. Ursula Siebert.

This is the fourth voyage of the ITAW team on the "Polarstern" to the Antarctic to gather data on whales. Weather permitting, the researchers will watch for whales every day from the ship's 27-meter-high crow's nest and set out as often as possible in the ship's helicopter to count the animals from the air in areas farther from the ship. All whale sightings will be documented exactly by location and relevant environmental parameters, such as the extent of the ice cover. In combination with data from previous voyages, the data collected now will contribute to our knowledge of the distribution and population density of whales in the Antarctic – information which is highly significant for the protection of these animals. Overall, little is known about the distribution of whales in the Antarctic, particularly in the pack ice, because only very few ships can penetrate as far into the ice as the "Polarstern" can. The scientists are reasonably sure to see Antarctic minke whales, humpback whales, and fin whales. On previous voyages they have also observed various species of beaked whales, sperm whales, southern sei whales, and killer whales. Last year, they even sighted a blue whale.

The ship cast off from Cape Town on December 3rd and will return there on January 5th, 2012. Also on board with the Hannover Veterinary University scientists are other teams of specialists with a variety of research goals, including the study of the Antarctic circumpolar current system, various plankton species, seabirds, and an automatic whale detection system. Water samples will be taken for physical analysis, and measurement devices will be anchored to the ocean floor, while others deployed years ago will be recovered. Another important mission of this expedition is to bring supplies to the German Neumayer Station on the Antarctic ice shelf. The ship is expected to reach the station on December 19th or 20th and will need two to three days for this operation.

The "Polarstern" is currently the most advanced polar research vessel in the world. It functions at ambient temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius and can overwinter in the polar sea ice. The ship can pass through ice up to 1.5 meters thick at a speed of 5 knots, but must ram thicker ice to break through. The double-hulled research icebreaker is operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany, and has completed more than 50 expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic since 1982. The ship accommodates a crew of 44 in addition to 50 scientists and technicians.

Hannover, 6th of December, 2011