Logbook OCEAN CHANGE

Ocean Change

"Ocean Change" is the title of Arved Fuchs' current expedition. The 62-year-old from Bad Bramstedt departed with his ship the "Dagmar Aaen" from the harbor in Hamburg on August 5^th heading for Tierra del Fuego.

The name "Ocean Change" stands for the many changes taking place in the ocean. Acute subjects are overfishing, the high level of acidity in the ocean waters caused by the increase of CO₂ in the atmosphere and its consequences for the ocean's fauna and flora, the increase of ocean water pollution, plastic waste and the effect it has on the dramatic changes in species decline. The latest expedition has set its goal in finding these changes, in examining and in documenting them.

From Hamburg the ship will be heading for Falmouth (England), Vigo (Spain), the Cape Verde Islands, the Bissagos Islands which belong to Guinea-Bissau, Fernando de Noronha, Rio de Janeiro to Ushuaia (Argentina). Various projects will be undertaken during this long journey.

To document the actual problems facing local fishermen along the coasts is one of these projects. This will revolve around catch quotas, excess capacities and transferable fisheries agreements and primarily around the sustainable development of the fish population with inshore fishing.

The historical aspect of the journey revolves around the undertakings by the German explorer Gunther Plüschow (1886 - 1931). In November 1927 he jouneyed on the "Feuerland" from Büsum to Punta Arenas (Chile) and explored vast regions of Patagonia. He died four years later during the expedition. ZDFInfo is planning a documentary on Plüschow's expedition and also on the 400 year anniversary of the discovery of Cap Horn.

Following this, the "Dagmar Aaen" will journey the Antarctic Peninsula for the first time. The crew will head for the northern region of the Antarctic Continent in January/February 2016.

A research project on the Rock hopper Penguin is planned from the beginning to the end of March 2016. In cooperation with the Antarctic Research Trust, satellite transmitters will be attached to penguins from colonies around the southern tip of South America in order to then follow the migration routes taken by the animals. In this way the feeding grounds and the migration routes can be identified. The "Dagmar Aaen" will serve as base camp during this time enabling an approach to the remote islands Islas Noir, Defonso, Diego Ramirez and Isla de los Estados.

Reports, current logbook entries and photos of this long journey at the other end of the world will appear at irregular intervals on the website and on Facebook.

Logbuch OCEAN CHANGE