Blue Economy PhD Scholar, Amara Steven, recently returned from two voyages to Antarctica on board HX Expeditions’ MS Fridtjof Nansen where she investigated the behaviour of Antarctic expedition passengers, their motivations for travel and their approach and attitudes to the carbon footprint associated with Antarctic tourism. We spoke with Amara about her experience…
Tell us more about your recent voyage to Antarctica
In November 2025, I had the privilege of joining not just one but two voyages to Antarctica on board HX Expeditions’ MS Fridtjof Nansen to understand how Antarctic expedition passengers experience their journey, engage with the environment, and choose between different activities onboard and onshore. I travelled with Dr Anne Boothroyd from the University of Tasmania, while my supervisor Professor Darla Hatton MacDonald, the lead investigator on the project, travelled on the MS Fram with Dr Oscar Vorobjovas‑Pinta, where their itinerary included additional stops in the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.
What was the purpose of your research onboard?
On these HX Expeditions voyages, our team invited passengers to complete short environmental attitude surveys, semi-structured interviews, and activity diaries logging onboard and ashore time. We explored motivations for visiting Antarctica and perceptions of crowded tourism. We explored people’s awareness of the carbon footprint associated with Antarctic tourism, and asked whether they would be willing to forgo other forms of carbon-related consumption for a year, or forgo other forms of travel to visit such a remote and fragile place, drawing on emerging evidence that per‑tourist emissions for Antarctic trips are substantially higher than for most other forms of international travel.
How was the expedition relevant to your work in the blue economy?
I was especially excited because the MS Fridtjof Nansen is an example of Blue Economy innovations and Stewardship in action, with hybrid, lower‑emissions vessel that uses GPS‑based dynamic positioning instead of traditional anchoring. As well as conducting our own research on board, we were in the privileged position of assisting the expedition team with landings and Zodiac cruises, gaining firsthand insight into shipboard life and fieldwork. Expedition staff routinely conduct citizen science—such as bird counts and sample collection—leveraging the vessel’s research capabilities alongside tourism.
In addition, as a “guest scientist”, I delivered a lecture “The Blue Economy: Understanding Our Relationship with the Ocean through Economics,” introducing scarcity, incentives, ecosystem services, non-use values, and social licence to reflect on how we value Antarctica. I was delighted to introduce the Blue Economy concept to many unfamiliar attendees, noting Antarctica’s absence from mainstream narratives focused on coastal EEZs, fisheries, shipping, offshore energy, and tourism—despite Southern Ocean services valued at hundreds of billions annually across regulating, provisioning, and cultural functions. Integrating polar tourism, valuation, and low-impact technologies connects governance to ocean equity, risk distribution, and planetary boundaries.
“Antarctica rekindled childlike wonder for me: midnight-glowing icebergs, crackling sea ice, evoking human smallness alongside our responsibility to preserve it for the future.”
How did this experience benefit your PhD journey?
This voyage, though not formally part of my PhD dataset on risk perceptions in food-based industries (fisheries and aquaculture) and offshore energy, provided invaluable skill development in qualitative methods and fieldwork. I honed semi-structured one-on-one interviews—beyond my original PhD plan—while adapting to remote conditions: limited internet requiring agility, weather-disrupted planning, and flexible scheduling amid shifting landings. These experiences ultimately broadened my holistic grasp of the Blue Economy, allowing me to explore polar tourism as a sector in one of Earth’s most fragile regions.
Was there a standout moment for you?
On a personal note, standing on deck amid katabatic winds or crunching across sea ice—rather than remote interviews via screen—fostered genuine empathy with passengers’ awe, ambivalence, and ethical dilemmas. Antarctica rekindled childlike wonder for me: midnight-glowing icebergs, crackling sea ice, evoking human smallness alongside our responsibility to preserve it for the future. Also, something shocking happened for me: with zero prior interest in birds, somewhere between the Drake Passage and penguin colonies, I unexpectedly became a “bird person”—binoculars and species lists now define my sightings. Antarctica’s quiet humour is how visitors return as seabird enthusiasts; I’ve fully joined them.
Follow Amara’s research on her PhD Scholars page.
Video filmed whilst onboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen by Daily Mail’s Ship Shape series.
Hybrid Powered Boat
Gentoo Penguins
Brown Station
Amara and Anne
Adelie Penguin
Antarctica
Gentoo Penguins Choreographing
