In 1984, Marta Estrada (Granollers, 76 years old) and Josefina Castellví were the first Spaniards to reach Antarctica. At that point, the two had already had an impressive scientific career behind them. Estrada is a distinguished oceanographer and marine biologist who, now retired, remains on the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) as a professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences, where she works. In the middle of the interview, he combats climate change ignorance, which only responds to personal perceptions, with the headline: The planet is warming up, although something cool has come today.
Questions. That headline from you in El Nacional is scary. “To go to Antarctica now, I would dress like I’m going to the Pyrenees.”
Answer. Because that’s what it is, a headline. Skip the rest of what I said. For example: I am referring to summer and to the Peninsula, the northwestern area: the least extreme area of Antarctica. If I had to cross it in winter, rest assured I would be dressed differently.
P In 1984 you go for the first time, in 2015 for the last time. What changes have you noticed in 30 years?
R This is difficult and I often have to explain it. It’s like going to Vigo for a year on May 15th and coming back on May 15th, I don’t know how many years later. And one day it may rain. The other day can be a little warmer. The same thing happened to me on my visits to Antarctica. But the bases have continuous temperature records. There has been significant warming in the Antarctic Peninsula area. There are even invasive plants that originated from the mainland. Changes are noticed, not because I’ve been there three or four times and noticed that it was hotter than before, but because it’s registered that way.
P What is clear is that what happens in Antarctica, like what happens in the Amazon, does not stay in either place.
R The impact on the planet is enormous. That there is a large white layer of ice reflects the radiation. When this ice disappears, like that of the Arctic, a lot of radiation remains on Earth: sunlight is not reflected, it is absorbed and the Earth gets hotter. And Antarctica is a very important place in the organization of the entire system of ocean currents. When this system changes, the climatic conditions of the planet change. Ocean currents are fundamental to the distribution of heat around the planet.
P It is also essential for research.
R Antarctica is a great laboratory to study the biology of cold adaptation of species that are only found there. And an important place to study astronomy. And geophysics, because the poles are preferred places for their studies. And the obvious: Much of the planet’s fresh water is there, so as the ice melts, sea levels rise. We’re talking long term here.
P the plankton. The microalgae of the plankton, the better.
R My study object. On earth there are the herbs and the animals that eat them. Where’s the seaweed? There are macro algae that can be seen on the shore. But in suspension in the water there are microscopic microalgae (common name); small unicellular microbes that have chlorophyll and like plants: they capture sunlight, absorb carbon dioxide and water, nutrients like phosphorus or nitrogen. You also need iron. And they are consumed by other unicellular microbes and multicellular animals. What maintains the marine food chain is the microalgae of the plankton. They are very diverse, some even have skeletons. Covers of thousandths of a millimeter inserts. Some not all.
P When the sea is boundless, your studies will be even more so.
R And there are bacteria, viruses… Get this straight: most of the biomass in the sea is microorganisms, not whales or fish. Algae bind carbon dioxide and produce organic material. Some dies, sediments, and this is part of the flow of carbon on the planet. The sea represents half of the earth’s primary production.
P What remains after a lifetime of research?
R Learning. Research is an intellectual and aesthetic satisfaction. Knowledge is fundamental to human life on earth. I’ll give you an example.
P Continue.
R Our investigation started legitimately with the fishing. You don’t know how much you can catch unless you know how much food the fish have, and the fish’s diet starts with phytoplankton. And you can’t know what’s happening to carbon dioxide and fossil fuels unless you know how much is being sequestered in the ocean.
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