Arctic Observations

Paper overboard

“Paper isn’t the best when you live on boats!” exclaims environmental researcher Martin Halvorsen from his watery perch near Bear Island, Norway. A visual image of Martin, bobbing on the Barents sea (just above the Arctic circle) in his research vessel the "SY Njord", surrounded by curled up stacks of damp paper, immediately springs to mind.

Doing more with less

It’s hard to imagine how a researcher works in rugged Arctic conditions with very limited resources. It’s even harder to picture how a piece of tech like reMarkable can connect a remote island surrounded by ice in winter, to the rest of the world. And yet: “The paper tablet is a great way to gather and present data to show how this seemingly isolated place is intricately connected to the rest of the world,” he explains. “This connection is crucial, it highlights the global implications of local actions. What you do in other countries still impacts the Arctic.”

Data, navigated

It helps that his reMarkable has seaworthy traits: with its long battery life (and almost 3 month standby time), and ability for fieldworkers to record observations where Wi-Fi is limited or non-existent. “It’s perfect for data collection,” he says. “It’s light, intuitive, and easy to convert handwritten field notes to a digital format.”

Martin’s research involves collecting various types of data from the island, including mapping the arrival of different types of waste—plastics, weights, fishing equipment and packaging—in this pristine ecosystem. These entries are kept in a diary, capturing the team’s day-to-day insights.

Converting these notes into digital text, makes the data easier to handle, analyze, and upload.

“While it’s nice to write in the field the old-fashioned way, digital text is a lot easier to handle afterwards. When we upload to our main hub, it’s essential.”

From isolation to connection

With each handwritten note made digital, Martin and his team transform remote observations into actionable insights that resonate worldwide. They aren’t just studying the Arctic—they’re having a hand in shaping its future, one page at a time.

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