In a remarkable collaboration, Enrico Ser-Giacomi, a physicist specializing in fluid dynamics and marine ecology, has teamed up with Alberto Riva, an elite yacht designer and skipper, to turn a private yacht into an unconventional marine science laboratory.
Reporting by Helen Hill for CBIOMES
Enrico’s expertise lies in using network theory and Lagrangian methods to explore the complex interplay between ocean transport and marine ecology. He recently returned to Spain, where he now holds a tenure track position at the Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems at the University of the Balearic Islands. Enrico’s involvement in various scientific projects includes LAMARCA, a Spain-funded initiative focused on understanding the role of ocean transport in the distribution of marine litter, such as microplastics and larger debris.
Beyond his theoretical work, Enrico has a deep connection to the ocean, nurtured from childhood by sailing with his father. A fortuitous encounter with Alberto Riva, both a highly skilled sailor and the mind behind the class 40 racing yacht named “Acrobatica,” sparked a novel idea. They decided to merge Enrico’s scientific interests with Alberto’s access to ship time.
Enrico explains, “Alberto’s prowess as a racing skipper, combined with his keen understanding of analytical science, inspired us to explore scientific experiments from his racing yacht.”
The result was the “Scheria – Med Sea” project, named after the island home of the Phaeacians, known for their navigation skills and mentioned in Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ for their legendary hospitality. In September, as they sailed “Acrobatica” from Spain to France for an upcoming race, the duo conducted their inaugural scientific mission. They released six drifters into the Ibiza Channel, laying the groundwork for future campaigns.
Enrico emphasizes the simplicity of their approach: “You don’t always need costly equipment. The ocean presents opportunities every day.” Their short-term goal is to establish an instrument interface and operational procedures for conducting experiments on Alberto’s boat, with a particular focus on basic chemical-physical measurements and sampling of the planktonic community.
This collaboration between a physicist and a skipper promises to offer fresh insights into marine science, demonstrating that innovation and exploration can be more accessible and cost-effective than conventional methods lowering barriers to carrying out marine fieldwork.
Below enjoy three Instagram posts from the “Scheria – Med Sea” drifter deployment to give you a taste of life aboard “Acrobatica.”
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Story image credit: Martina Orsini courtesy Alberto Riva