LSE x Sail Britain: Marine Social Science Expedition
Coinciding with World Ocean’s Day on the 8th of June and in collaboration with Sail Britain the LSESU Marine Society set sail to the coastline of Western Scotland in a trailblazing marine social science expedition.
Starting in Crinan, we folled the Scottish shoreline to Mallaig, examining scientific samples (microplastics, water, phytoplankton). By shining a light on the effects of pollution and climate change on our own coasts we want to create awareness for these very local global problems.
Our interdisciplinary crew comprising 7 students from 6 different social science disciplines (Economic History, Social Anthropology, Environment and Development, International History, PPE, Geography) complemented its oceanographic work with a social science perspective on marine issues. Discussing issues ranging from Marine Anthropology and Geopolitics of the Arctic Ocean, to Underwater Cultural Heritage and Innovations in the field of Maritime Navigation, each crew member contributed their individual subject expertise to discussions, presentations and debates onboard.
The LSE Marine Society x Sail Britain expedition is the first of its kind to bridge the social and natural sciences through sailing.
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1. Changing our relationship with the sea.
We’re loosing our connection with the sea and with it our ability to preserve its life for future generations. A sailing boat fundamentally changes our relationship with the sea. It gives us the time and space to observe, to listen and to engage with the ocean in an intimate way.
The ocean is a very inaccessible environment. Only by making it a more accessible space and developing that personal connection can we be in a good position to conserve it for future generations. A sailing boat allows us to have a personal engagement with it. It is perfection in design and practice; a work of art that harnesses the beauty and force of nature. While it shows our mastery over the ocean in technical respects, a sailing boat also is a reminder of our own human fragility at sea, inspiring a profound sense of oneness with the boat, the sea and the wind.
Britain is known for its incredible coastline - the diversity of its landscapes, its culture and its natural habitats. Islands have a lot to teach us in terms of alternative models for society. When places are quite remote, you can’t escape issues which are on your doorstep, whether they be waste disposal, energy generation or fishing. Through sailing we can encounter these new perspecitves and exchange best practices with those living on islands .
In this age of modern high-speed travel, bypassing the sea altogether, it’s all-too important to get that connection by travelling slowly. Because of the inaccessibility of the ocean for many people, most of the issues facing it are out of sight and out of mind. To address these and achieve positive change, we have got to reengage with the sea.
“The ocean is a very inaccessible environment. Through sailing we can ensure that people have a personal engagement with it. ”
Oliver Beardon, Founder and Director of Sail Britain
2. Taking a different approach to marine issues.
I believe we need to change the way we talk about marine issues. Firstly, what we need is to increase awareness and understanding of the integral role that social sciences can have in management and decision making for our global seas and coastline. Problems at sea are the result of failed governance on land. The plastic that ends up in the marine ecosystem is produced and ineadeuqately discarded in coastal areas, shipped around the world. Overfishing is a result of increasing demand for fish. We need more social scientists trained in addressing environmental issues to bridge the divide between the evidence provided by natural scientists on the destruction of our environment and policy-makers/economists.
Secondly, we need to make people feel again. At this current age and time we are facing an information overload. People’s mind are saturated with images of seabirds cuaght in plastic bags and facts and figures about the billions of tons of plastic floating in our oceans and polluting our coastlines. It can feel overwhelming and hard to tackle this problem.
People also don’t care about things they have not experienced. Urban dwellers often do not see or experience the impact of their palstic consumption. What we need is for people to experience these things, only if they have experienced them will they take action. We need to stop looking at marine issues in isolation and start adressing them holistically. And that starts on land.
“We need to fundamentally change the way we talk about marine issues. Problems at sea are the result of failed governance on land.”
Arzucan Askin, President of the LSESU Marine Society
3. Looking at the ocean through different lenses.
Mainstream media only looks at the ocean through 3 different lenses: the oceans as economic growth factors and industrial shipping grounds, the beauty of coral reefs or tropical holiday resorts. Yet there are a myriad of ways through which we could look at the oceans. Onboard our crew challenged their preconceived notions of the underwater world and dived into new perspectives (literally).
We spoke about the importance of underwater cultural heritage such as shipwrecks in terms of helping biodiversity through artifical reefs, but also as sources of geopolitical conflicts to to the UNESCO Convention as well as the Law of the Seas that seems to have loopholes. We also spoke about the impact of climate change, but not only on marine ecosystem, but on the securitisation of the environment and how it fuels new cold wars in the arctic due to the melting ice and the scramble for new natural resources.
We spoke about multi-species marine anthropology and took apart the many ways through which we relate to the sea. We spoke about women and the sea - a historically often neglected fact. Most of the stories we hear are about the brave soliders and sailors going away for war and exploration. What about the women who snuck onboard? What about the stories of those families left behind?
We spoke about marine eco-tourism as both a source of income but also a cause for concern in remote and protected habitats. We shared stories about the economic history of navigation and the creativity of economic historians who need data (which is limited). Thus as a discipline they had to take creative approaches such as analysing ships logbooks and skeletons for information about the climate at that time, comparing historical images.
Social science helps us look at the sea through different lenses.
“This is a moment where climate science and economic history meets with the logbooks of sailors who crossed the oceans not knowing their notes would provide valuable information that expands our understanding of lcimate change today.”
Julius Koschnik, First Mate