Alumnae Ankia Van Zyl joins Blake Expedition trip
In early February, Ankia Van Zyl (Year 13, 2022) joined 10 other young New Zealanders on a voyage to Campbell Island in the Southern Ocean on board HMNZS Canterbury. Ankia joined a team of environmental leaders and scientists from GNS Science, University of Otago, and Cawthron Institute as part of the BLAKE Expeditions programme on a scientific voyage of discovery.
Campbell Island is located 700 km south of New Zealand, the most southerly of New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic islands in the Southern Ocean. With an abundance of wildlife, it is one of the world’s most pristine nature reserves and has significant ecological importance. The Southern Ocean regulates global climate and plays an important role controlling heat and carbon exchange between the atmosphere and ocean. Ankia worked with a range of scientists, to explore the region and collect a variety of data.
It was a significant achievement to be selected to take part in the expedition and a unique opportunity to visit one of the most remote locations on the planet.