Sealers in the service of science

ABSTRACT This paper describes the co-operation, for the purpose of data collection, that was established between scientific institutions in Scandinavia and the sealing trade in northern Norway in the period 1865–1875. The paper describes the cartographic work carried out by sealing masters, notably...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Record
Main Author: Kjær, Kjell-G.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2014
Subjects:
General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Ecology
Geography, Planning and Development
Arctic
Svalbard
Norway
Nordaustlandet
Kong Karls Land
Northern Norway
Novaya Zemlya
Polar Record
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247414000813
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247414000813
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT This paper describes the co-operation, for the purpose of data collection, that was established between scientific institutions in Scandinavia and the sealing trade in northern Norway in the period 1865–1875. The paper describes the cartographic work carried out by sealing masters, notably the making of new charts of Nordaustlandet, Kong Karls Land and Novaya Zemlya. It also describes how a scientific network in Norway and Sweden saw the potential in the masters’ knowledge of the Arctic and encouraged them to record their observations and to gather scientific data. The reasons why sealing masters engaged in Arctic research are described. The paper includes charts of parts of Svalbard and of Novaya Zemlya based on sealers’ sketches, notes and ship's journals.

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