The fifth Antarctic season of the Ukrainian research icebreaker Noosphere has ended.
According to the press service of the National Antarctic Research Center, the ship returned to the port of Cape Town (South Africa), where it had been relocated from Odesa after the full-scale invasion.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, this season was a record-breaking one in many areas:
- Duration and number of flights. The season lasted more than 7 months, from mid-October to the end of May (for comparison, the previous one lasted almost 5 months). Noosphere's team made a record 9 voyages to the Antarctic and crossed the most turbulent place on the planet, the Drake Passage, 18 times. In total, the ship traveled more than 30 thousand miles (more than 56 thousand km), which is more than the length of the Earth's equator.
- The first experience of working beyond the Arctic Circle. This season, Noosphere crossed the circle twice to conduct scientific research in Margaret Bay. We would like to remind you that our Antarctic station, Akademik Vernadsky, is located in front of the Arctic Circle. So for Ukraine, this is a significant expansion of the research area.
- A broader scientific program. From the Noosphere, our scientists and foreign colleagues conducted comprehensive research on the impact of climate change on the waters of the Southern Ocean. They studied marine heat waves, collected sediment samples to reconstruct geological history, and analyzed changes in marine fauna. In particular, the interaction between microorganisms, phytoplankton and zooplankton.
- A record number of international partnerships. The vessel provided scientific and logistical cooperation between Ukraine and the largest number of countries in all seasons. These include Poland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Colombia, and Mexico. In particular, the Noosphere and Vernadsky became platforms for the First Mexican Antarctic Expedition, which significantly strengthened scientific ties between the countries. And logistical collaborations allowed us to expand the scope of scientific research without additional costs from the Ukrainian budget.
Traditionally, in the fifth season, the icebreaker provided a changeover at Vernadsky for the 30th and 31st Ukrainian Antarctic expeditions, as well as the delivery and return of the seasonal team.
The program was carried out by a team of Ukrainian sailors led by captains from Odesa region: Pavlo Panasyuk and Andriy Starish. They efficiently coped with all the tasks, bypassing storms and laying new routes among the icebergs.
Кирило Бойко