A RENOWNED explorer has announced a new project to research environmental changes to the ocean and the world.

Jim McNeil has enlisted a wooden three-masted schooner to chart changes to 10,000 nautical miles of Arctic seas early in the New Year.

Jim, who runs Ice Warrior expeditions from his outdoor equipment shop in Princetown, is recruiting for ordinary people who want to take part as citizen scientists.

He already runs land polar expeditions gathering data to give snap-shot indicators of climate change. His latest, called Last Pole, is due to leave for the Pole of Inaccessibility in the Arctic in February after months of training on Dartmoor.

Last Pole involves crossing ice to measure changes in terrain, temperature, ice thickness, water and atmospheric pollution which are passed onto NASA scientists. Ocean Warrior will carry out similar research and provide logistical support to Last Pole.

The Ocean Warrior expedition involves amateur enthusiasts for adventure undergoing training in data-gathering and extreme weather survival.

Jim explained the added bonus for those embarking the SV Linden, is that they will also be trained in seamanship, giving them a potential new career. Using sailing ship, rather than diesel, is less polluting.

Jim said: ‘This is a very exciting time for us. We have signed an 11-year deal to take ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things and survey 10,000 nautical miles carrying out oceanographic measurements.

‘All our expeditions have an environmental basis and the data be publcly available. Ocean Warrior will be similar to our polar projects in creating an instant anecdotal picture of how our natural world is changing.

‘This will add to the overall evidence that long-term scientific papers are giving us - that of climate change and how the world is warming up dangerously fast. The trouble is that these long term studies are often years behind the damage to our world, so our work is vital in influencing more immediate action to slow down climate change.

‘This includes cutting down on our man made carbon dioxide emissions.’

The project will support work by scientific partners, such as Plymouth University, the Marine Biological Association, the Marine Business Technology Centre and Plymouth Marine.

‘The importance of the ocean is that it is the largest carbon sink, which is essential in soaking up excess carbon in the atmosphere and slowing down the greenhouse effect of warming up the world. The ocean soon won’t be able to absorb any more carbon.

‘Also, it’s about food security because our ocean is such a rich source of food and we need to preserve it as a habitat,’ said Jim.

The ship will base in Plymouth and travel to Norway, Iceland and Canada. More details on Ocean Warrior from ice-warrior.com or 01822 890338.