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 Viktor BoyarskyExpedition Leader Born in 1950. Well-known Russian Polar adventurer and explorer. From 1973 to 1987 he worked as polar scientist for Arctic and Antarctic research Institute in S.-Petersburg. During that time he took part in 5 Antarctic Expeditions and more then 6 expeditions in the Arctic. Viktor’s Achievements: He is PhD in Physics and Mathematics and author of two books about Transgreenland and Transantarctic expedition. At the present moment he is working on his third book. 1988. He became a member of International Expedition, which crossed the Greenland from South to North on ski and dog sledges. In 1989-90 he was a member of International Transantarctic Expedition - the first in the history crossing the seventh continent by the longest route. During 7 months lasting journey the expedition went on ski and dogs sledges more then 6,500 km from east to west coast across South Pole. 1995. He was co-leader of the International Transarctic expedition, started from the Siberian coast and finished on Ward Hunt island in Canadian arctic archipelago. 1997-2002. He led 14 expeditions on ski to the North Pole and has worked 5 seasons as a guide-lecturer and expedition leader on board of nuclear icebreakers cruising to the North Pole. Currently. He is a Director of the Russian state museum of Arctic and Antarctic in St. Petersburg, head of the Polar commission of the Russian geographical society. Viktor Boyarsky is a member of the National geographic society of USA. Together with his wife and son he is living in St. Petersburg. Viktor speaks fluent English.
Christoph Ransmayr, Lecturer. Christoph Ransmayr was born 20.03.1954 in Wels, Austria in a family of schoolteacher. He spent his childhood in Roitham village near Alpine lake Traunsee. Studied at Stiftsgymnasium der Benediktiner in Lambach. 1972-1978 studied philosophy at Vienna University. Now he is living in West Cork, Ireland. He started his literature career in 1979 as a redactor in monthly magazine "Extrablatt " in Vienna as well as reporter and essay author in German magazines. Starting from 1982 he is a free writer. Christoph Ransmayr has published several novels which have been translated into 26 languages.
Sepp Friedhuber, Lecturer. Prof. Mag. Sepp FriedhuberBorn 1948 in Upper Austria, Studied Biology and Geology at the University of Salzburg. Teaching Biology in Linz. First Expedition to Bolivia Cordillera Real 1973. More than 30 Expeditions to South America, Africa, Himalaya, Iceland, Spitzbergen, Alaska and Siberia with many first ascents. Scientific adviser in 11 Filmprojekts for Austrian TV in Afrika, South America , Asia , Spitzbergen, Alaska, Siberia. Last international Filmproject: Beringia – Atlantis of the North Winner of Golden Romy, most important TV Award in Austria. Photographer: Many publications in international books and magazines. Books: "Afrika – Berge Wusten Regenwalder", "Uramazonas: Fluss aus der Sahara".
Christine Reinke-Kunze, Lecturer. Dr. Christine Reinke-Kunze works as a freelance journalist for a variety of radio stations, newspapers and magazines. Her principal fields of work include art, cultural history and travel reports, for which she has hitherto gathered material in Scandinavia, New Zealand, Namibia, Southeast Asia, China, Mongolia and Russia. In recent years she has produced numerous radio features on scientific topics, with modern polar exploration having become a further main area of work. The writer’s desire to give listeners a close-up account of modern science has caused her to accompany polar explorers on expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic and in doing so, she has developed a special personal liking for the extreme latitudes of our planet. Her excursions result in thrilling radio documentaries and also books relating to the history of German research vessels and polar exploration. In her spare time this Hamburg journalist has published many books including "German Research Vessels" (1986), "Research Vessels of the World" (1994), Alfred Wegener - Father of the Continental Drift" (1994), "History of German Polar Science" (1992), "Penguins" (1993), "Antarctica - Portrait of a Continent" (1992), "Discovery of Antarctica" (1996), "Ice" (1996) and "Antarctica - An Introductory Guide" (1997).
Andreas Umbreit, Expeditionsleiter. 1959 in München geboren und in den Bayrischen Alpen aufgewachsen, wo er auch seinen Grundwehrdienst in einer Gebirgseinheit ableistete. Studium der Landwirtschaft in Kiel, von dort aus Remise nach Skandinavien und seit 1986 nach Spitzbergen. Spitzbergen und die Polargebiete nahmen ihn gefangen. 1987 gründete er die erste in Spitzbergen registrierte Touristikfirma und hat seit 1992 seinen Hauptwohnsitz in der Inselhauptstadt Longyearbyen.Ebenfalls 1987 veröffentlichte er die erste Ausgabe seiner Spitzbergen Reiseführer, die sich seitdem als die detaillierteste allgemeine gedruckte Informationsquelle über die Inselgruppe etabliert haben. Seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre enthält das Buch einen ausführlichen zusätzlichen Teil zur östlichen Nachbarinselgruppe Franz-Joseph-Land - auch hier eine der wenigen aktuellen Informationsquellen zu diesem abgelegenen Reiseziel. Auf Deutsch ist aktuell die 8. Auflage (2007) des "Spitzbergen Handbuches" (mit Franz-Joseph-Land und Jan Mayen, ca. 580 Seiten) im Handel, in Englisch erscheint 2008 die 4. Auflage. Den Büchern merkt man in Aktualität und Umfang die kontinuierliche, vielfältige Präsenz des Autors in diesen abgelegenen Regionen an, ohne die eine so umfassende inhaltliche Darstellung dieser schwer zugänglichen Gebiete kaum möglich wäre. Viele Jahre als Bewohner der Arktis, seine praktische Arbeit mit wissenschaftlichen, touristischen und Medien-Expeditionen, und die Nachforschungen für die Aktualisierung seiner Veröffentlichungen machen ihn zu einem sachkundigen Experten zu polaren Themen mit breitem Wissenshintergrund. Deshalb wird er unter anderem gern als Berater und Logistikpartner auch für verschiedene arktische Filmprojekte herangezogen. Örtlich, und auch in Projekten des WWF, ist Andreas Umbreit in Bemühungen engagiert, arktischen Tourismus in möglichst umweltverträgliche Bahnen zu lenken. Wegen seines breiten Spektrums an arktischer Erfahrung und Wissen ist Andreas Umbreit ein begehrter Lektor und Expeditionsleiter auf polaren Seereisen, kann sich jedoch derartige Einsätze wegen seiner übrigen Arbeit in der Sommersaison nur in begrenztem Rahmen machen. Neben seiner engagiert-lebendigen Vortragsweise profitieren Teilnehmer und Team von seinem breiten polaren Hintergrund, der sich nicht nur auf Seetouristik und Theorie beschränkt. Angesichts langer guter russischer Kontakte schon aus Spitzbergen und guter Zusammenarbeit mit POSEIDON, sowie seiner Begeisterung für die russische Arktis, bemüht sich Andreas Umbreit, Zeit für unsere Expeditionsfahrten in seiner Jahresplanung freizuhalten und gehört schon seit unseren allerersten Arktisfahrten (2003, nach Franz-Joseph-Land) zu unserem Team, 2004 (Franz-Joseph-Land) und 2005 (Kara See mit Nowaja Semlja und Sewernaja Semlja) als Expeditionsleiter. Für 2008 steht er uns für unsere Expeditionen von Spitzbergen nach Franz-Joseph-Land Expeditionen zur Verfügung. Als überzeugter "outdoor" Mensch und gleichzeitig Reiseführerautor sind sein Ziel auf den Fahrten möglichst viele Landexkursionen, kombiniert mit guter landeskundlicher Information - im Rahmen der zu beachtenden Sicherheits- und Umweltaspekte, sowie der aktuellen natürlichen Verhältnisse vor Ort.
Nikita Ovsyanikov, Biologist. Dr. Nikita Ovsyanikov, a deputy director of the Wrangel Island State Nature Reserve, is a senior research scientist for the Pacific Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on wildlife ecology with special emphasis on the behavior of predatory Arctic animals, wolf management and environmental education. Mr. Ovsyanikov is known as a Russian conservationist, field scientist, wildlife photographer and polar bear researcher and member of the World Conservation Union’s Wolf Specialist Group. Dr. Ovsyanikov has studied polar bears in the field since 1990 and consulted on several nature documentaries. He has spent more than 20 years conducting research on this remote and strictly protected refuge with its quaint place names– Cape Blossom, Doubtful Spit and Unexpected River, Wrangel Island. He holds a Ph.D. in zoology from the Severtzov's Institute of Animal Evolutionary Morphology and Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR.In his book "Polar Bears" Dr. Nikita Ovsyanikov has described polar bears’ eating habits, habitats, and behavior in easy-to-read text manner. The book is enhanced throughout with spectacular shots of polar bears in the high Arctic and all over the globe. He is also an author of series of articles on Arctic wildlife. In the course of his lectures during the cruise Dr. Nikita Ovsyanikov will give a personal view on the status of the polar bear on Wrangel Island under global warming conditions.
Irina Baklushinskaya, Biologist. Born in 1959 in Moscow. Irina studied biology at the Moscow State University. In 1992 she acquired the PhD in Biology (Genetics). Irina works as a Senior Scientist at the Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, one of the oldest genetic institutes in Russia. The main scientific interest is connected with the base problems of biology such as evolution and origin of species. She took part in 15 scientific expeditions to different regions of the former Soviet Union from the White Sea to Caucasus (Soviet-French expedition), Siberia (Sayan Mountains) and Middle Asia mountain systems (Pamiro-Alay, Tien-Shan). She is the author of 45 scientific papers, and two directories (Russian and English) as printed versions of databases providing information about people working with biodiversity in countries of the former Soviet Union (about 10 000 entries).
Birgit Lutz-Temsch, Lecturer. Geboren 1974 in Bayern, Studium der Diplom-Germanistik mit Schwerpunkt Journalistik in Bamberg und Rom. Stationen bei der Mittelbayerischen Zeitung in Regensburg, Spiegel online in Hamburg, ZDF in Rio de Janeiro.Seit 2000 Redakteurin bei sueddeutsche.de in München, außerdem Autorin für die Süddeutsche Zeitung, Neon und Runners World. Bevorzugter Themenbereich: Berg- und Extremsport, Fitness. Mehrere mehrwöchige Zeltreisen durch Italien, Südsee und Rocky Mountains und Alpen, begeisterte Bergsteigerin. 2007 auf einer Nordpolreise auf der Yamal mit dem Arktisvirus infiziert. 2008 geplant: Skitour zum Pol. Buch: Kleine Philosophie der Passionen: Zelten, dtv.
Helfried Weyer, Lecturer. Helfried Weyer, born 1939 in Konigsberg / Kaliningrad, is a professional photographer and a journalist who has worked all around the world. The result are nearly 50 picture - and travelbooks. His favoured locations are cold areas like Arctic and Antarctic. So Weyer worked as a photographer and lecturer on ships like MS Europa, MS Hanseatic, MS Bremen, MS World Discoverer, MS Lindblad Explorer and more. Helfried Weyer worked as a staffmember in 2003 on IB Kapitan Dranitsyn in Franz Joseph Land an gave lectures about the history of this country, about professional photography and much more. If you travel together with Helfried Weyer, you will get better pictures on this tour and you will learn a lot about your destination. Helfried Weyer was also a member in Himalaya- and Sahara-Expeditions.
Yoshihide Ohta, Lecturer. Born: 01.14.1933 at Nagano prefecture, Japan.1957: Graduated from faculty of science Geology, Hokkaido University, Japan. 1962: Finished the graduated school of Hokkaido University. (Faculty of Science) obtained the degree of Dr. of Science. 1962: Research Associate of Hokkaido University. (Geology) 1972. Tought Petrology. 1962: First Antarctic geology article, presented to the First Antarctic geology symposium. 1964-66: Post doctorate fellow from Japan to Oslo University studied under Prof. T. Birth on feldspar crystallography. First visit to Spitsbergen. 1968: Second visit to Norway by Norwegian Polar Institute. Second visit to Spitsbergen. 1969-70: Deputy leader of Himalayan Expedition from Hokkaido University, field works in Nepal. 1972-2000: State Scientist of Norwegian Polar Institute. Visited Antarctic 6 times, 30 summers to Arctic from Alaska, Canadian Arctic. Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, as a leader of geologist party. 1973: Received Prince Chichibu Science prize by the book "Geology of Nepal Himalayas". 1975-80: Based member of Japan Norway Society. 1993-1999: Member of Science Community for INSROP (International Northern Sea Route Project) by Russia-Norway-Japan. 2000 till now: Half-time scientist of Norwegian Polar Institute. 4 books and more than 200 scientific articles have been written. 2002-2003: A lecturer for the North Pole cruises of “Poseidon Arctic Voyages”.Mr. Ohta speaks fluent English.
Marie Villar, Assistant Expedition Leader.Born 1968 in France. Her parents are Spanish and she felt international since she was a little girl for she never stopped, as often as possible, discovering world cultures and civilizations taking her along to more than 60 countries and practising the adventure sports she likes most (mountaineering, alpinism, sky diving). She is particularly skilled for languages and considers them fundamental because they allow a better approach and discovery of people. She studied 7 languages and follows actually an Inuit Language and Civilization course in Paris. After 15 years working in marketing for important companies, she made a break to India and South Pacific during one year, volunteering for humanitarian and ecotourism projects. Since she came back, she lives her passion, polar tourism. She guides in the Arctic and Antarctica, makes lectures on the history of polar exploration, leads kayaking groups to Spitsbergen, and sometimes takes also cruises to warmer places in the world. She is co-writing a touristic guide book about the polar regions and is fond of photography and bats.
Petra Glardon, Lecturer.Petra ist geprägt durch einen sehr internationalen Hintergrund: sie ist Schweizerin, wurde in Deutschland geboren und wuchs in Südamerika auf. Schon als kleines Kind entwickelte Petra eine grosse Leidenschaft für unberührte Natur und wilde Tiere. Mit ihrem Rucksack war sie vor allem in Argentinien unterwegs und verbrachte fast jede Ferien weit weg von grossen Städten. Sie studierte Zoologie und merkte bald, dass sie sich besonders für Meeressäugetieren interessierte. Ihre Diplomarbeit wurde in einem abgelegenen Naturreservat in Patagonien durchgeführt, wo sie das Verhalten von Mähnenrobben untersuchte. Sie nahm ausserdem an anderen Forschungsprojekten teil, z.B. über Zwergwale in den Hebriden, Delfine im Mittelmeer und Pottwale in Norwegen. In den letzten Jahren arbeitet sie alternativ als Trainerin für klinische Forschung in Deutschland, als Freilandbiologin in Schottland und als Lektorin in der Antarktis.
Yaroslav Nikitin, Birder.Born in 1981 in Moscow, Russia. Yaroslav studied Geography in Moscow State Pedagogical University. Now he is working on the postgraduate degree in the Laboratory of Biogeography in the Institute of Geography (Russian Academy of Sciences). The scientific interest is closely connected with the Arctic and biogeography of the region - the Biogeographical Principals of the Ecotourism Development in the Russian Arctic. Yaroslav Nikitin is a member of Russian Geographic Society and a travel photographer. Bird watching is one of the passions. Yaroslav got in to bird watching while working in the US in the Pocono Environmental Education Center in PA where he worked as an instructor. In 2004 was the field leader of the “Fall Warblers” workshop and participated in the World Series of Birding in New Jersey. He traveled, bird and photograph in the High Arctic, Eastern United States, Europe and Russia. Since 2006 Yaroslav Nikitin has been working for Poseidon Arctic Voyages: 2006 - Franz Josef Land Expedition cruise aboard “Kapitan Dranitsyn” 2007 on the North Pole Icebreaker Expedition Cruise aboard “Yamal”.
Phil Palmer, Birder. Born in England in 1962, he is well known for his photographs and articles that have appeared in many books and magazines.He worked as an Electrical Engineer before leaving to work for English Nature, radio-tracking birds. He was also an ecological advisor and has recently been providing evidence at inquiries about bird-strikes and wind turbines. His 25-year study work and Nightjar radio-tracking project for English Nature has unravelled some of the mysteries surrounding the species as well as assisting in designating Thorne and Hatfield Moors as a Special Protection area (SPA). His conservation credentials led him to become a council member of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Chairman of their nature reserves committee. He is currently Chairing their sub-committee to create a massive wetland nature reserve. For over a decade, he has sat on the Nottinghamshire Rare Birds Committee to adjudicate over identification problems and record assessment. In 1999 he wrote 'First for Britain & Ireland 1600-1999' the best selling bird book at the UK Bird Fair and joined Bird Holidays as a principal tour leader. His extensive travels have taken him to 6 of the world's 7 continents, from the Arctic to Antarctica and this is now his full time occupation. Phil also undertakes a series of lectures to local societies and clubs when in the UK. These are always well received and he is regularly invited to lecture at the British Bird Fair. Although enjoying finding rare birds in Britain and around the world, he was part of a horseback expedition to rediscover 2 bird species not seen for 20 years in Peru. On the same trip he found and photographed a new species to science. He has recently been part of a four man expedition to Chukotka to study breeding birds. Amongst many rare bird finds, he found a new species for Eurasia.
He began doing Astronomy as a hobby and gives talks and lectures across the UK on all aspects of Astronomy and Space. He is now a freelance writer, broadcaster and lecturer and in 2006 became the Reviews Editor for the BBC Sky at Night magazine. Since span 2005 he became part of a team of astronomers regularly taking the public on Northern Lights Flights in Spring and Autumn with Omega Holidays (UK) to experience this amazing phenomenon and was one of the guest astronomers for the Omega Holidays Solar Eclipse expedition to Turkey for the March 29th 2006 Solar Eclipse. Paul also writes and publishes an annual A5 colour publication on what can be seen in the night sky for the year which is rapidly becoming a best-seller in the UK. He is also currently writing a book on the Messier objects for Springer Publishers.
Franz Gingele, Geologist. Franz Gingele was brought up in Oberstdorf. Being a teenager he began to explore the local mountains. The surrounding landscape early aroused his keen interest in stones, ice and historical natural phenomena.During the study of geology, glaciology and climatology in Erlangen he took part in mountaineering expeditions on other continents and conquered some mountain peaks in the Rocky Mountains, and also the summits of 5,000 m and 6,000 m high in the Andes in South America. When working toward Doctor’s degree in Alfred Wegener’s Marine and Polar Research Institute in Bremerhaven and in the University of Bremen, Franz studied the polar regions of the Earth and participated in some great research Antarctic expeditions on the icebreaker "Polarstern". Later his activities were also related to Greenland and Arctic. Other scientific expeditions brought Franz to South Africa, South America, Arabian Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean area. Since 1998 Franz has been accompanying the passenger cruises to Antarctica, Svalbard, and Greenland and also on the Northwest Passage. Since 2000 he has been working as a marine geologist and climatologist at the University of Canberra, Australia. His scientific activity is concentrated on research of the oceans surrounding the Red Continent.
Stefan Lunk, Biologist. Born 1960 in Kiel, Germany. Since his early teenage years, he has had a keen interest in birds in general and in particular in the birds, mammals and eco-systems of the Arctic and in its history of human exploration. He has since made numerous trips of mostly ornithological background to Greenland, Iceland, Spitsbergen, northern Norway and Franz Josef Land. In 2004 he published the first-ever German-language article on the birds populating Franz Josef Land. He is presently writing a book on the birds to be found on the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn. Stefan Lunk is a member of the advisory board of the German Wild Animal Foundation (Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung). He has spent much time outside Germany (U.S.A., South Africa) and is fluent in English. When not watching birds, he works as a partner in the Hamburg office of a large international law firm.
Stefan Kredel, Geologist was born in Bamberg and grew up in Murnau, in the south of Germany.He did a number of bicycle trips by himself through India / Nepal, New Zealand and South America each lasting a number of months. In Nepal he walked the Annapurna Circle Track, in New Zealand he hiked in various National Parks and in Peru he followed the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu. In 1993 he began studying geology / palaeontology at the Ludwig Maximillians University in Munich, which he finished successfully in 1999, receiving his diploma. In order to graduate he had to produce a geological map of the “Hohe Tauern”, part of the high mountains of Austria. His thesis was about an ore body in a tungsten mine, which is also located in Austria. In 1999 he visited Africa twice; both trips encompassed Ethiopia and Djibouti. He and a colleague were involved in geological fieldwork for a research project under the auspices of the DLR (German Space Agency). His carrier as a lecture on board of expedition cruise vessels started in 1998. His first trip was to Antarctica. Since then he has visited this fascinating area every year on several occasions. His knowledge also extends to the north. He has been to places like Iceland, Greenland, Hudson Bay, Northwest Passage, and Inside Passage in Alaska, Aleutians, Kamtchatka and the Kurile Islands. And not to forget the South Pacific, where he visited many islands between Papua Newguinea and Easter Island. In 2001 he moved to live in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1988konnte er das erste Mal an einer halbjährigen wissenschaftlichen Expedition in die Antarktis teilnehmen. Die Liebe zur polaren Natur, die ihn damals infiziert hat, hat ihn nie wieder verlassen. Zwischen 1994 und 2000nahm er an drei weiteren Expeditionen in verschiedene Regionen der Antarktis und an zwei Grönlandexpeditionen teil. Expeditionsziele waren vor allem geodätische Arbeiten zur Plattentektonik und zum Eismassenhaushalt. 1997 promovierte er an der TU Dresden zum Dr.-Ing. mit einem Thema zur Glazialgeodäsie und Geodynamik. Seit 2000 ist er als Professor für Vermessungskunde, Instrumententechnik und Erdmessung an der Technischen Fachhochschule Berlin tätig. Neben seinem Beruf ist Wilfried Korth begeisterter Ausdauersportler. Er hat viele Marathon- und Ultramarathonläufe absolviert und auch auf dem Rennrad oder Inlineskates Marathonrennen absolviert. Bergtouren führten ihn auf die höchsten Gipfel Deutschlands und Österreichs. Bisheriger Höhenrekord ist die Besteigung des Kilimandscharos (5895m). Die Kombination von Sport und Polarexpedition führte 2002 folgerichtig zu einer ersten wissenschaftlichen Grönlandexpedition, die nur mit Mitteln der modernen Sportlogistik durchgeführt wurde: 700km auf Skiern mit von Hand gezogenen Schlitten über das Inlandeis, ohne Unterstützung von außen. Vier Jahre später fand die erste Wiederholungsmessung der Grönlandüberquerung auf gleiche effektive Art und Weise statt. Bei beiden Expeditionen lag die wissenschaftliche Leitung in den Händen von Dr. Korth. Dabei ist die Fortbewegung auf Skiern und der Verzicht auf moderne aber schwere Technik in einigen Regionen Grönlands im Sommer die einzige Möglichkeit überhaupt auf dem Inlandeis zu arbeiten. Ziel der Grönlandreisen ist eine Langzeitstudie zu Eismassenänderungen infolge des Klimawandels. Seit 2003 begleitet Wilfried Korth als Lektor Touristen auf Kreuzfahrtschiffen in die Antarktis und die Arktis. Seine Fachgebiete sind neben Glaziologie und Geodynamik auch Satellitennavigation und Fragen des Klimawandels. "Wer einmal die Urgewalten antarktischer Stürme aber auch die unbeschreibliche Schönheit und Weite des Eises erlebt hat, wird davon nicht mehr losgelassen.
P.J. Capelotti, Historian. Born near Boston, Massachusetts, in 1960. He is Senior Lecturer in Anthropology and American Studies at Penn State University Abington College in Abington, PA. His archaeological field research in the Arctic began in 1993 with a survey of the Wellman airship base camp at Virgohamn in Svalbard. His scholarly and field research centers on the history of exploration and has taken him to Svalbard, Cuba, and Indonesia, and on board the U.S. Navy nuclear research submarine NR-1. He has appeared twice on the National Geographic Channel’s Seahunter series. He is author or editor of more than a dozen non-fiction histories, including Sea Drift: Rafting Adventures in the Wake of Kon-Tiki (2001). His polar books include By Airship to the North Pole: An Archaeology of Human Exploration (1999), The Svalbard Archipelago (2000), The Wellman Airship Expeditions at Virgohamn, Danskoya, Svalbard (1997), and The Franz Josef Land Archipelago: E.B. Baldwin’s Journal of the Wellman Polar Expedition, 1898 (2004). Recent articles include "Space: The Final (Archaeological) Frontier" Archaeology Magazine, Nov/Dec 2004. His poetry has appeared in Subjective Substance and The Bathyspheric Review, and his first volume of poetry, Gods Meadow: A Summer of Poems on the Edge of Oslo Fjord, will be published in 2005. He has written a novel centered on Arctic exploration and literature entitled Nautilus. He has served for seventeen years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and holds the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer. His military honors include the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal, the U.S. Coast Guard Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" two Meritorious Team Commendations (one with "O"), and five U.S Coast Guard Reserve Good Conduct Medals. He was recalled to active duty after 9/11 and wrote the official Service history of that event: Rogue Wave: The U.S. Coast Guard on and after 9/11. For this duty he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.
Richard Sale, Naturalist. Richard is 58 years old. He is a physicist with a first degree in theoretical physics, and MSc in General Relativity and a PhD in astrophysics. After time spent working in cosmology – he is the author of the cosmology section of the Encyclopedia of the Universe – he worked in glaciology at the University of Zurich and the Jungfraujoch Research Station.He has been a climber since his youth, with 6 expeditions to the Himalayas to his credit and several to the Arctic. Finally he decided to give up full-time science, though he still runs a scientific consultancy company, to concentrate on his first love – the Arctic and its wildlife. He has traveled all over the Arctic, by snow scooter, dog sled, kayak, on skis, and sometimes on foot, travelling in all four seasons, photographing the wildlife and enjoying the views. He has also worked in the Antarctic. In 2002 he published To the Ends of the Earth, a history of polar exploration which won the OWG Best Book Award in 2003. This year sees the publication of a monograph which he has written with a Russian colleague on the Gyrfalcon, the world’s largest falcon. A white Gyr is the dream sighting of many Arctic travelers. He is currently working on a book entitled The Arctic which will deal with all aspects of the north – geology and geography, history and ecology, as well as detailing the animal and bird species of this most fascinating area. He is currently a freelance writer/photographer, concentrating mainly on the Arctic and mountain areas.
Keizo Funatsu, was born in 1956, in Osaka. He started his travel life full of adventure very early: at the age of 22 he crossed USA by bicycle even before his graduation from Kobe University in 1979. In 1984 he crossed the Sahara Desert by bicycle. Then in 1988 he switched into ski and dog sleds and crossed Greenland. In 1989-1990 Keizo made his greatest adventure of his life Transantarctic expedition by ski and dog sleds. After this expedition he received 1991 the Asahi sport award in Japan. Then Keizo Funatsu came back to bicycle and completed in 1991 Beargrease 800km race in Minnesota (rookie of the year). New stage in his adventures was exploration in 1992 the Amur river with TBS film crews. And new bicycle adventure in 1993 Iditarod 1800km race in Alaska (rookie of the year). In 1994 Keizo moved to Alaska and opened the Silver Cloud racing kennel. In 1996 another bicycle competition Rocky Mountain Stage Stop 1000km Race in Wyoming. In 1997 Keizo Funatsu completed Yukon Quest 1600km race (rookie of the year). In 1998 took part in Yukon Quest 1600km race. In 1999 overtook Rocky Mountain Stage Stop Race and win some races in Alaska. In 2000 took part in Rocky Mountain Stage Stop Race. Another adventure in 2002 - 300km summer backpacking and canoe trip in Brooks range in Alaska . And during 2003-2004 Keizo Funatsu operated the Silver Cloud dog mushing school.
Nikolai Mugue, Biologist. Born in 1963 in Moscow. Graduated (MS, 1986) from Moscow State University, Dept Zoology of Invertebrates. He received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University, USA (1996), where he has studied marine fish genetics. During his years at Rutgers, Nikolai has regularly taught Biology of Invertebrates and other courses for undergraduates. From 1996 till now Dr. Mugue is a Senior researcher at Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology and Leading researcher at Russian Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (Moscow), where he is studying systematics, ecology and molecular phylogeny of different groups of animals – from tiny crustaceans and fruit flies to huge, delicious, but endangered sturgeons. Nikolai is frequently involved in research expeditions all over the world, including two international biospeleological expeditions in Northern Thailand caves, organized by Explorers Club and led by Prof. Borowsky, NYU. The TV story based on another international expedition, to Dagestan, was recently broadcasted by German television. His current research on marine fauna often brings him on board of research vessels. In 2004 Nikolai has participated in benthic survey during several research cruises in the Barents, Caspian, and Black seas.
Magnus Forsberg, Naturalist. Expedition staff. Born 1955 in Uppsala, Sweden. Lives currently in Sweden (near Goteborg) and speaks Scandinavian and of course English. Has over the last 15 years worked and traveled extensively in Polar regions (Arctic & Antarctica) on different ships as lecturer and expedition staff. For many years has also been a leading bird tours to many parts of the world and also worked as expedition staff on different ships in almost in any ocean. Visited Russia first time in 1985 and has also spent time traveling in the NE Siberia (Kolyma, Chukotskiy Peninsula, Anadyr & Magadan area) on an ornithological expedition. Also traveled to many other parts of Siberia, and almost visited every former Soviet Republic including all in Central Asia. Education in science, environment and mathematics. The years 1980 - 1994 worked with nature conservation with focus on wetland management and birds in Sweden. Over the years his interest has broaden and today history is also a of major interest, especially polar history. Did his first visit to the Arctic in 1969 and have since when been back almost every summer. In 2005 sailed onboard the ice-breaker Dranitsyn to Novaya, Severnaya Zemlja and Taimyr.
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