Meet the Scientists
Hedda Andersen
Hedda Andersen is a glaciologist residing in the Northernmost settlement in the world, Longyearbyen at 78 degrees North. She is in the works of completing her Master Degree on the impact of climate change on Svalbard’s glaciers with the University Centre in Svalbard and University of Oslo.
Upon moving to Svalbard in 2018, she fell in love with the landscape and most of all, the glaciers. Quickly realising that the glaciers on Svalbard are heavily affected by ongoing climate changes and seeing the changes herself right in front of her, motivated her to persue several academic degree’s with the local University in Longyearbyen.
In addition to quantifying climate change impacts on Svalbard’s glaciers, Hedda is very passionate about climate and science communication, and is therefore working directly with the largest tour operator on Svalbard, where she educates both tourists and staff on the facts and impacts of climate change relative to what can be seen on snowmobile and ship tours on Svalbard, all the while also being a certified Arctic Nature guide.
Additionally, Hedda is employed in the position as Environmental Scientist for the largest Norwegian Expedition cruise company. This position creates a unique opportunity for climate and science communication, both in the Arctic and Antarctic.
Inga Dehnert
Inga is a marine biologist specialized in coral reef restoration. Coral reefs are under imminent threat of disappearing due to climate change and many other human impacts. But Inga and her team are not prepared to let corals go and are working on different approaches to regrow Maldivian reefs and give corals a ‘fighting chance’ in the future. For example, thousands of corals are grown every year in large underwater nurseries, before they are put on reefs that struggle to recover naturally. Her work is embedded in a long-term research scheme conducted by the University of Milano-Bicocca and includes different locations across the Maldives, such as Diamonds and Sandies resorts as well as MaRHE Center, where research and public outreach go hand in hand. While science can help us to improve coral restoration success, raising awareness among tourists and locals is equally important to safeguard this precious underwater paradise. Inga and the marine lab team share their passion and knowledge about the ocean with everyone who would like to join their regularly organized talks, workshops and special events. The message is clear: “We need to act now as giving up coral reefs is not an option”.
