Torben Stichel: What does the ocean mean to me

I find it difficult to put into words what the ocean means to me. The sea has always been present in my personal life and in my work. I was born in a small town with a long maritime history. Flensburg, in the very north of Germany, was once one of the most important harbour cities of Denmark, and is now known for its fjord and beautiful sailing landscape. The ocean means home to me. I’ve been on the water, sailing with my father, since I was a little boy and now too we try to sail together whenever I visit my parents.

 

 

I did my undergrad and graduate studies in Kiel- just 100 km away from Flensburg and also at the sea, and during that time I participated in two oceanographic cruises, one of which for ten weeks in Antarctic waters. In that cruise especially I had several occasions to feel the glory of the ocean, its force and beauty. My first experience as a postdoc was in the University of Hawaii, where I moved right after my PhD defense. I lived in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for two and a half years and beside working on marine geochemistry, I also enjoyed the ocean as playground both from above the surface sailing with friends as well as below the surface scuba diving in the clearest waters surrounding the volcanic islands. My family and I now live in Southampton and I work at the National Oceanography Centre carrying out research in chemical oceanography. Living by the sea is what I keep doing, intentionally or by chance. The sea has always been a part of my life.

However, the ocean is still a big unknown for me. I find its power and secrets are overwhelming and it’s amazing how even its smallest components can tell us big stories. I study the ocean because there will always be something new to discover in all disciplines from biology and chemistry to physics. As a marine geochemist my field of research focuses on tiny amounts of trace metals that can tell us the origin and fate of trillions of litres of seawater moving through the ocean basins like on an enormous conveyor belt. I want to understand my “home” – I guess that’s why I do what I do as a marine scientist.