HX Citizen Science Projects: Don't Just Travel the World – Study it!

The goal of the HX Science Program is to educate and inform our guests about the challenges our planet faces and, by doing so, create ambassadors.

At HX, we’re passionate about science, education, and sustainability. That’s why we invite our guests to actively participate in the collection of scientific data through our Citizen Science projects. These projects not only foster a deeper understanding of the regions in which we travel, but also provide insights and invaluable data to help protect some of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems.

Science in a Unique Atmosphere

The state-of-the-art onboard Science Center is the heart of your expedition ship. Here, you’ll learn about wildlife, culture, and history specific to the destinations you visit. You’ll also have an opportunity to join lectures on sustainability, nature photography, and climate change. Our enthusiastic Expedition Team of experts are excited to share their in-depth knowledge with you.

The Science Center is packed with research equipment, including high-tech microscopes and a library. Depending on ship size, these areas offer a variety of meaningful experiences like wildlife spotting, geology, biology, geography, glaciology, oceanography, and more.

The Core of Citizen Science Projects

• Involving guests in projects for third-party organizations
• Carrying scientific equipment for sample collection on behalf of research institutes
• Hosting scientific personnel on board to conduct collaborative science programs
• Delivering an educational lecture program
• Interacting with guests in our Science Centers to reinforce the lecture program with practical, hands-on experiences

We run numerous Citizen Science projects to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the areas we sail in, all of which our guests are welcome to participate in when they travel with us. For example, in Svalbard we take part in the Norwegian Polar Institute project for the registration of marine mammals in the Arctic (Marine Mammal Sightings Database). The data from this project improves our overall understanding of habitat use and seasonal movement patterns.

Additionally, scientific research is conducted on board our ships via partnerships with world-leading institutions. We contribute to several science projects by offering in-kind logistical support to researchers. In 2021, we had 10 researchers on board HX vessels from six different scientific institutions.

We aim to run at least one Citizen Science project on every trip. The specific programming of the projects is subject to availability and can change based on a number of conditions like the itinerary, the number of staff, and weather.