Start of historic Antartica trip
A RUSSIAN icebreaker set off from Cape Town yesterday packed with scientists from around the world, including two from Rhodes University, for a historic mission to the Antartica.
The Akademic Treshn a bright orange vessel, sailed for the start of the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition‚ and is scheduled to only return in March 2017.
Research teams will focus on the remote continent‚ bringing together such disciplines as biology‚ oceanography‚ climatology and many more.
Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor was at the pier to launch the mission‚ and said the country had a “strong commitment to collaborating with other countries to strengthen innovation”.
Two Rhodes University scientists – microbiologists Professor Rosemary Dorrington and PhD candidate Samantha Waterworth – are among 150 scientists on the expedition. Many of the scientists will change during the trip.
Chief scientist David Walton said he was incredibly excited to be part of the mission that would see 22 projects feeding into the mission’s “holistic approach”.
“Unlike most cruises‚ selection for this was based on merit regardless of the framework the scientist was working in‚” he said‚ “and usually scientists focus on one region but we are going all the way around in one season. We are likely to come up with new hypotheses about how the southern ocean relates to Antarctica.”
Projects would‚ among others‚ explore how nutrients provided by the islands feed the ocean‚ and how damage by micro-plastics is causing havoc.
“The micro particles are so tiny that they’re becoming part of the flesh of seals and other creatures‚” said Walton.
Other scientists will look at the connection between the fauna and flora‚ while some would look at the changes wrought by the influx of fresh water‚ and the effect of aerosols on the snow.
Despite the excitement of the occasion‚ a minute of silence was also held for the Russian ambassador to Turkey‚ Andrey Karlov‚ who was shot at an art exhibition by an off-duty Turkish police officer.
Russia is a main partner to the expedition. — TMG Digital/The Times