People of ICEBERG—Natascha Oppelt and Victor Lion from Kiel University

Throughout the ICEBERG project, we will introduce the people working on the project. In this personnel introduction, Natascha Oppelt and Victor Lion from Kiel University introduce themselves and shares what inspires them about ICEBERG.

Natascha Oppelt

My name is Natascha Oppelt, and I’m a professor at Kiel University, in the northernmost part of Germany. I lead the Earth Observation and Modelling group, which means we are we use satellite images, drones or other types of cameras and smart technology to watch how our planet is changing—especially in the Arctic, where I’ve been working since 2017.

My work combines different types of sensors and analyzes images taken over time to understand how environments are changing. Instead of just collecting data, I develop new methods to observe and understand what’s happening to our planet.

By bringing together various imaging technologies, I help create a more complete picture of environmental processes and changes. Whether it’s tracking changes on farmland or watching how rivers and lakes evolve, my goal is to piece together the puzzle of our changing environment.

The Arctic isn’t exactly easy to get to. That’s why our approach is particularly valuable in these remote areas where traditional monitoring is tough. In ICEBERG, I’m responsible for figuring out how to spot and measure beach litter automatically. Our big idea? Hand over the tools to the people who live there—so they can map the trash on their own beaches and help us collect reliable data for scientists and decision-makers.

“The Arctic isn’t exactly easy to get to. That’s why our approach is particularly valuable in these remote areas where traditional monitoring is tough.”

It’s truly a team effort: teachers, students, and volunteers help set up cameras, gather photos, and discuss what they find. It’s science you can do with your own hands—and it’s making a difference, one beach at a time—turning monitoring into hands-on environmental stewardship and making a difference, one beach at a time.

I’m excited to discover just how much local communities can teach us about their land, their coastlines and the sea. By working together, we hope to spot patterns—like which types of trash are the worst offenders, because it is not always what you would expect. Most of all, I want to show that science isn’t just for people in lab coats—it’s for anyone who cares about their home. Along the way, we meet great people and work with amazing colleagues!

Stay tuned to see what we find in the Arctic!

Victor Lion

My name is Victor Lion, and I am a PhD student at Kiel University, Germany, under the supervision of Natascha Oppelt. Within the ICEBERG project, I am working on the automatic detection of marine beach litter using tower-based time-lapse cameras, Artificial Intelligence, and Citizen Science. Currently, we have 17 cameras available across ICEBERG’s three study sites.

One of these cameras, located in South-Svalbard, is part of a year-round monitoring without maintenance as part of WP1. The remaining cameras are situated in Iceland and Kalaallit Nunaat for WP2, where we collaborate with volunteers, such as high-school students and participants of beach clean-ups organized by Ocean Missions (Iceland).

My academic background is in Geography and remote sensing with focus on drones and satellites in the Arctic. During my studies, I participated in two RV Polarstern expeditions to the Arctic sea ice in 2022 and 2023 – experiences that made the Arctic a very special place for me. I am really happy to continue this journey through the ICEBERG project.

A new aspect for me in ICEBERG was the integration of Citizen Science, which did not play a role in my previous studies. However, during the first year in ICEBERG and through my attendance in the field work in Iceland, I realized how valuable and important it is to involve the opinion and knowledge of local and Indigenous communities in our research.

I often ask myself whether our work would be possible without the contributions of citizens – and the answer is often “No”, showing the importance of community consultation meetings and Citizen Science initiatives.

My field work in Iceland and the reports from Kalaallit Nunaat and Svalbard were truly eye-opening, as I had not expected such pollution on Arctic beaches.

“I often ask myself whether our work would be possible without the contributions of citizens – and the answer is often “No”, showing the importance of community consultation meetings and Citizen Science initiatives.”

I participated in beach clean-ups organized by Ocean Missions in Akureyri and Húsavík, Iceland. On the one hand, it was inspiring to see so many volunteers from all over the globe involved in the clean-ups. On the other hand, I was surprised by the diversity and volume of litter we found, partly hidden among old seagrass and kelp patches on the beach, which felt like a bottomless pit.

I believe that our monitoring with time-lapse cameras in combination with the drones from SciDrones will make an important contribution to our understanding of the accumulation rate, mass, and dynamics of marine litter on Arctic beaches.

This is my first EU project, and it is fascinating to see what can be achieved within such a transdisciplinary research framework. I am not only learning within my own field, but also gaining insights into many other disciplines from our partners, which makes me very grateful to be part of the consortium.

Text written by Natascha Oppelt and Victor Lion.

Main photo of Natascha (left) and Victor (right) by Helga Númadóttir.