The sea is the limit

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Her suitcase has been dusted off. All her necessary winter clothes and personal belongings have been promptly prepared. Ready to set off, Suchana Chavanich is about to head for a destination that no Thai woman has ever reached.

"I'm heading to Antarctica," said Suchana, an associate professor at the Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, in a humble soft tone.

"I will be there during summer so the temperature will be around minus 30Celsius. But in winter, the temperature drops to minus 80."

Suchana is Thailand's first female scientist to journey to Antarctica, the world's coldest, driest and windiest continent. She was chosen by the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) to join the four-month Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (Jare). She is the second Thai marine scientist to join the voyage after her colleague Voranop Viyakarn took part in a similar research adventure five years ago.

Unlike the stereotypical scientist, who has thick glasses, a white laboratory coat and an obsession with scientific jargon, the 37-year-old on the contrary possesses a good sense of humour as well as, fortunately, an ability to translate complicated scientific concepts into plain, easy-to-understand language. Suchana would never be recognised as a scientist at first glance. But in conversation, her intellect is easy to spot.

Suchana timidly walked 'Muse' to her office where the photo shoot was to take place. And it was indeed an office of a scholar. The room was quite a mess. The few cabinets did not seem big enough to store all her marine biology textbooks. Apart from all this literary proof, the flock of sea animal magnets attached to her cupboard's sliding door definitely confirmed that the sea is indeed her raison d'etre.

"When I was a kid, my parents often took me to the beach. That's why I have always been familiar with the sea and have had the chance to be close to nature. I have liked water sports and scuba diving since I was young, and I was also my school's swimmer," recalled Suchana of her childhood fascination that lead her to study marine biology at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University.

After completing a master's degree in biology at the Central Connecticut State University and a PhD in zoology at the University of New Hampshire, both in the US, Suchana returned to her motherland and started working as a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. Her study has focussed on near-shore species in both tropical and temperate regions as well as on the conservation and restoration of marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs.

Her profession is obviously not a desk job. As a member of the Plant Genetic Conservation Project under the Royal Initiative of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Suchana is off to Sattahip district in Chon Buri, where she conducts her research almost every weekend. Also, as the project leader of Coastal Marine Biodiversity in the Western Pacific Region under Unesco's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the biologist travels from one country to another and work with researchers from several countries such as Japan, Korea and China.

But in a few days, Suchana's workstation will be moved much further away when she and 79 other marine researchers, mostly Japanese, board the icebreaker AGB Shirase II in Fremantle, Western Australia. From there, they will head to Syowa Station, Japan's research station in Antarctica.

The world's most remote continent, Antarctica is permanently covered by ice. The coldest place on the Earth, Antarctica has no permanent human residents. Creatures that survive there are penguins, seals as well as many types of algae and cold-adapted plants.

No country is allowed to own this piece of land which is full of natural resources, and thus the Antarctic Treaty was drawn and signed by member nations, with the objective of prohibiting military activities and mineral mining on the continent, yet allowing scientific research.

And because no human beings live there, the scientist continued, Antarctica is still considered a "virgin" territory where the impact of climate change can be measured.

"Antarctica is still undisturbed to some extent. The ice sheet there is a couple of hundred thousand years old or more. This can be used as an indicator to see how the Earth and its temperature have changed. Looking at Antarctica today, we can see the past and learn more about animal behaviour."

The Earth's southernmost continent seems so far away, yet it is not too distant. The impact of human beings' environmental activities such as greenhouse gas emissions ends there. And while the Earth rotates, all the invisible waste piles up at Antarctica. This is why scientists call it a "sink".

"The purpose of this expedition is to conduct research, together with the Japanese team, on the impact of climate change so we can prepare for its consequences in the years to come. It also aims to build ties between Thai scientists and those from other countries so that, hopefully, Thailand will be able to send scientists there every year for further studies," said the marine biologist who won the L'Oreal "For Women in Science" scholarship award last year. She added that expenses from her coming journey will be covered by the NIPR while L'Oreal sponsored her necessary equipment.

It will take Suchana three weeks on the icebreaker to get to Antarctica, where she will spend another two months doing research, before another three-to-four-week journey on the ship back to Sydney. If everything goes as planned, she is scheduled to be back on Thai shores in March next year.

While on the ice-breaking floating vessel, Suchana will investigate the water quality along the way. But as soon as she disembarks at the frozen desert, her job is to collect samples of soil and dregs for further microorganism analysis and to observe animals' behaviours especially penguins'.

For Suchana, the trip is definitely going to be a tough one. Prior to setting off, she was required to undergo a thorough physical and mental examination. She was trained to survive extreme weather and tough terrain. It is not just freezing cold weather and thick ice sheets that await her but also life on the ship, big waves, sea sickness, unpredictable circumstances and all the hard work that she must accomplish.

Nonetheless, her underlying goal is for people in general to have a better, clearer picture of Antarctica and to raise awareness of global warming and its unwanted effects that are going to harm everyone if further environmental deterioration is not prevented.

"I remember back in 2003, the use of cloth grocery bags instead of disposable plastic bags was considerably promoted. But at that time people didn't like this idea as they said it wasn't convenient. Fast forward to 2009, today cloth bags are fashionable and those who don't use them are out of trend. So propaganda is not the best way to save our world. We have to do it, not just say it."

When asked about the role of women in science, Suchana said she has noticed the emergence of an increasing number of female scientists. Several countries including Thailand have started to encourage females to work in scientific fields. However, when it comes to marine biology, this particular area, she commented, seems to be less attractive to women when compared to other specialties.

"This is because of how we women are," she said with a big laugh. "We are afraid of our skin getting dark. If we go out to do fieldwork, of course we will be exposed to strong sunlight. Especially in marine biology, we might have to board a ship, go out to sea and carry heavy stuff. And a lot of women do not like that. They prefer working in a laboratory, making drugs or focusing on microbiology."

But for Suchana, all these physical barriers are not stumbling blocks. This is because to her, the sky, or in her case the sea, is the limit.

"In my work, particularly in Thailand female scientists often receive more attention than their male counterparts. People help us, for example, carry heavy luggage when they think we are not capable of doing it. But in several other countries such as the United States, women and men are equal. Men sometimes refuse to help us because they are afraid that their offer to lend a hand might be thought of as condescending. But personally, I think women in society today are as smart and strong as men. Women play a better, bigger role. More possibilities are out there for us. We, women, can do anything."

Relate Search: Suchana Chavanich, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, National Institute of Polar Research, Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition