Megan Lenss

What’s the work that you do?

I am a second year master’s student at UiT writing a thesis in collaboration with NPI on the biogeochemical controls of phytoplankton and ice algal growth in the King Haakon VII Sea, Southern Ocean. More broadly, I am interested in anthropogenic impacts on growing conditions for photosynthetic organisms in the Antarctic and the consequential impact this has on the role of the Southern Ocean in the global climate system. I have also worked for NPI as a laboratory technician on cruises associated with the SUDARCO project in the Eurasian sector of the Arctic Ocean.

What keeps you going?

As a student in polar science, most of my days are filled with endless questions. There is so much to learn both in and out of the classroom, in the lab and in the field. I love the blend of tough academic work with practical skills.

What’s your message to the world?

I feel science, at its core, is a profound communication tool. I believe physics, chemistry, and biology are akin to languages and that if I can learn some scientific fundamentals I can in some way communicate with earth systems that lack the same words you and I use to conversate. I feel a deep responsibility to turn scientific knowledge into public communication which bears witness to the complexity, vulnerability, and inherent worth of the polar regions. I am honored to be a part of this community, and I believe that we, as polar scientists, must champion climate justice at all levels.