Sea scientists set sail

Wellington: A Niwa research ship has left on a sixweek voyage to the Antarctic, making it one of the few full scientific expeditions to the continent since the outbreak of Covid19.

The flagship vessel Tangaroa left Wellington yesterday afternoon with 20 science staff and 19 crew on board.

The focus of the research is the environment and oceanography of the Ross Sea and the potential impacts of climate change; scientists will look at microscopic marine algae, water chemistry and oceanography, sampling fish and finding out more about the distribution of whales. — RNZ