The icebreaker "Noosfera" has begun its sixth Antarctic season.
The Ukrainian icebreaker "Noosfera" has departed from Cape Town for Antarctica, where it will conduct extensive research of the Weddell Sea. This season, the vessel will also provide logistical support for the Polish Antarctic station "Arctowski" and transport the Ukrainian expedition to the "Academician Verнадський" station.
The Ukrainian research icebreaker "Noosphere" has begun its sixth Antarctic season. Currently, the vessel is en route from Cape Town, South Africa, to Antarctica. The captain of the "Noosphere" is Andriy Stash. Due to the full-scale invasion by Russia, the vessel is forced to be based in Cape Town.
The icebreaker's first stop will be the Polish Antarctic station "Arctowski," where "Noosfera" will assist with logistics during the construction of new buildings. Subsequently, the vessel will head to the Chilean city of Punta Arenas, where it will pick up the first group of Ukrainian seasonal personnel and necessary cargo. From there, "Noosfera" will proceed to the Ukrainian Antarctic station "Academician Vernadsky," with arrival expected in early December.
One of the main events of the season will be a large-scale Ukrainian-Swedish study of the Weddell Sea, located east of the Antarctic Peninsula. This represents a significant expansion of research territory for Ukrainian polar science. The scientists plan to study extremophile organisms that live in extreme conditions, particularly near hydrothermal vents known as "black smokers," where water temperatures can reach 400 °C. The researchers will also be searching for cold-water corals and a sunken ship.
Specific areas of work will include studying atmospheric rivers and ocean currents. This season, the "Noosphere" and the "Academic Verнадський" station will host the first Indonesian Antarctic expedition, which, together with Ukrainian scientists, will implement new geological, biological, and oceanographic projects. Scientific cooperation with Mexico, the United States, and the Czech Republic will also continue. Within the framework of the European project POLARIN, two studies are planned: the spread of microbial communities in the air of polar regions and the monitoring of carbon in the Southern Ocean. In addition to scientific research, "Noosphere" will traditionally ensure the rotation of annual expeditions to the "Academic Verkhovsky" station.