Scientists living and working onboard a research ship have given an insight into their unusual life onboard.

Dr Yvonne Firing and Will Major have embarked on RRS James Cook expeditions as part of their research into the ocean and climate change.

Docked in Southampton and run by the city’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC), the 18-year-old ship can host 54 people – 22 crew members and 32 scientists.

Inside are a range of laboratory spaces - totalling 278m² - to support science at sea.

Will’s work is focused on better understanding how life in the ocean contributes to marine carbon storage.

Dr Yvonne Firing and Will Major onboard RRS James CookDr Yvonne Firing and Will Major onboard RRS James Cook (Image: Newsquest) During his last cruise, a visit to the Labrador Sea, to the west of Greenland, he wanted to learn more about ‘marine snow’, which is clumps of detritus.

He said: “We wanted to see if the snow was sinking more efficiently during times of deep-water formation.

“We will gain a better understanding of how much carbon, contained in the marine snow, is taken down into the deep and stored over long timescales.”

But the most interesting thing about being at sea and travelling the world is something much simpler.

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Will said: “For me, it is interesting to see how much the colour of the ocean changes depending on its biology.

“In some places, because there are no nutrients, it is fairly devoid of life, relatively speaking.”

For Dr Firing, learning about a water eddy - a circular current of water that’s similar to an atmospheric storm – is a particular highlight.

She said: “It was really neat to see an example of an eddy, something we expect to make a difference to carbon heat exchange.”

Life onboard is much more than delving into the secrets of the sea, with both enjoying the atmosphere and camaraderie onboard RRS Cook.

The vessel has delivered eight scientific cruises since its inception, and sailed the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Caribbean oceans.

In an average year, both RRS James Cook and RRS Discovery will be working away from the UK for up to 10 months or more.

NOC internationally freight hundreds of shipping containers of scientific equipment to and from the UK each year to meet ships abroad or be returned to the country.