Karen Fosse Sivertsen from Norway has nearly finished her Masters degree in Physical Oceanography at the University of Bergen. Karen’s insight into marine sciences began at an early age. Her father is a marine biologist who studies sea urchin grazing on different seaweeds in Norway.
As a child, Karen would sometimes assist him in the field by helping him take measurements of animals. Karen always knew she would pursue a career in science, but she didn’t expect to work in marine science. Her interest in the outdoors and mathematics led her to study meteorology and oceanography, and she eventually chose physical oceanography for her Masters degree.
Karen has participated in a few oceanographic cruises in Norway as part of her degree. She is on board the Nansen to help collect and analyse conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) and Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (LADCP) data, and water samples. She hopes that this cruise will gain her new skills and invaluable experiences that she can carry forward in her career.
Mastering new skills and concepts is what excites Karen the most about her work in physical oceanography. There is still so much to learn about the ocean, and this motivates her to continue her work. She defends her masters project shortly after this cruise and hopes to get a job in the field in the near future. Best of luck, Karen!
03/08/2015