Last Friday, British residents were invited on board the RRS Discovery.
The invitation, by the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Portugal, Lisa Bandari, was to create an informal meeting for British residents to meet her on her first official visit to the island, discuss initiatives between the British and Portuguese Governments, and learn about the scientific work of the RRS Discovery and her crew.
The vessel is currently hired by scientists from the University of Madeira, who are checking the seabed marine cables to determine how they can be used as static marine collection points and whether they can be utilised to enhance the national territory’s coastal security.
During the guided tour, the Captain was asked how seismic activity affected the ship.
Seismic activity has minimal impact on the ship. Interestingly, the ship arrived in Japanese waters just a day before the tsunami, and as seismic activity ripples along the seabed, there wasn’t a significant change in the ship’s behaviour. However, on a later mission, when the onboard scientists were studying underwater volcanoes, they realised one was erupting directly beneath them. This forced them to stop everything and leave quickly, as volcanic eruptions alter the water’s salinity, making it less dense and creating a potentially dangerous and catastrophic environment for the vessel.
Climate change became another hot topic of discussion, especially as the ship sails between both poles. While most climatic changes are recorded through equipment, the impacts of global warming are becoming increasingly visible.
Since the ship is hired by university research centers, its work is highly diverse, and the vessel’s crew can work with biologists one month and geologists the next. The job can also be risky due to global tensions. For example, while working with biologists in international waters between Norwegian and Russian territories, they were harassed by Russian helicopters. As the captain said, “The Russians didn’t know that we were studying plankton.” The vessel lacks diplomatic immunity, requiring written permission before entering any territorial waters.
The tour concluded with a visit to the Bridge.
The RRS Discovery will return to Funchal in January 2026.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
