Since returning from their Arctic expedition, of which Evotech is a sponsor, explorer Felicity Aston MBE and her all-female team have been busy logging samples and data for scientific research. 

On April 7, 2024, the B.I.G. Expedition team travelled to Nunavut to traverse the Prince Gustav Adolf Sea by ski, collecting snow, ice, and water samples. However, bad weather forced a change in plans, leading them to be dropped by plane on Ellef Rignes Island on the eastern edge of the Prince Gustav Adolf Sea from where they continued to battle extreme weather to access the Arctic Ocean sea ice. 

This area of sea is one of two within the Arctic Ocean where the oldest and thickest rafts of ice from across the Arctic eventually drift. 

The team managed to complete the planned collection of snow and ice samples but within a more limited area than initially intended and almost entirely in just one mammoth 17-hour session, highlighting the challenges posed by climate instability and the urgent need for such research. 

This marks the final ski journey of a four-year project, during which Felicity's team conducted four expeditions and collected over 200 samples. As a proud sponsor of the expedition Evotech is very grateful to Felicity and her team for their endeavours and as the project moves into the analysis phase we await the outcome of the scientific research they have enabled.

Read the full feature in Environment Journal