On Friday, October 17, the Ukrainian icebreaker Noosfera departed from Cape Town, South Africa, starting its fifth Antarctic season. The vessel has been based in Cape Town since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to the National Antarctic Scientific Center, the expedition is led by Captain Andrii Starysh. As in previous years, Noosfera will deliver scientists and technical specialists to the Akademik Vernadsky Station and later carry out the rotation of the annual expedition crew.
This season is expected to be record-breaking in scope and international cooperation. Ukrainian scientists plan an extensive program of oceanographic, geological, biological, meteorological, and geophysical research.
Oceanographers will study changes in ocean currents and mysterious “warm waves” in the depths of the Southern Ocean. Geologists will measure heat flows from Earth’s core and analyze seafloor sediments to reconstruct past climates. Biologists will examine marine life, including phytoplankton and benthic animals, and monitor whale populations using artificial intelligence. Meteorologists and geophysicists will conduct radio-sounding studies of the atmosphere and ionosphere.
For the first time, Noosfera will also support logistics for the British Antarctic Station Rothera, located about 300 kilometers south of Vernadsky.
In addition, Ukraine will join the First Mexican Antarctic Expedition, conducting joint oceanographic and biological studies. Ukrainian and Colombian researchers will investigate the mechanisms of Southern Ocean warming, while ongoing collaborations with Poland, the United States, and the Czech Republic will continue.
Experts expect this to be Ukraine’s most productive Antarctic season, with unprecedented scientific goals and international partnerships.
