site.btaResearch Vessel to Study Antarctica’s Underwater Heritage, Commander Muevski Says

A pilot study of Antarctica’s maritime heritage will be part of the next expedition of the Bulgarian research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), Commander Radko Muevski said on Tuesday.

Muevski spoke during the vessel’s visit to Nessebar, marking five years since RSV 421 joined the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy and completed four successful expeditions to Antarctica.

The project will study underwater cultural heritage around the South Shetland Islands through the Bulgarian Underwater Heritage Institute.

Muevski said the new area of research was part of the broader scientific programme the vessel will support during its next Antarctic expedition. Plans also include expanding a joint project with the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment in Oldenburg to study sea currents in Bransfield Strait.

The project will use new equipment, including a catamaran fitted with an acoustic Doppler current profiler capable of measuring water movement and characteristics at depth. Additional instruments will collect data on the marine environment.

Research under the Bulgarian Antarctic programme will also continue during the next expedition, including water sampling at various depths and work on projects by Bulgarian scientists.

The vessel will continue work on international scientific programmes. Muevski said it will support Romanian and Greek programmes, which have actively expanded their research in Antarctica during the past two expeditions. Water samples will again be collected at various depths, and logistical support will be provided to scientists working on these projects.

Further tasks include another attempt to install a seismic station in the South Shetland Islands and surveys of various bodies of water in the region.

Preparations for the expedition are already under way. After returning from its Black Sea voyage, RSV 421 will enter a crew rest period, followed by repairs and technical preparations.

“The crew is the most important part of maintaining the vessel. These are the people who ensure the ship is in good condition, its equipment remains operational and everything functions properly,” Muevski said.

New crew members are also being selected and trained alongside technical preparations, as the demands of Antarctic expeditions require periodic crew rotation.

During the summer, RSV 421 also carries out other tasks. It provides practical training for cadets from the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy and conducts research for Bulgarian institutions, including the Institute of Oceanology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). It also monitors seawater along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and supports the Bulgarian Navy, including by deploying hydrographic equipment.

The vessel is due to be loaded with the necessary equipment, provisions and materials in October and is scheduled to depart on its next Antarctic expedition in early November.

Providing logistical support to the Bulgarian Antarctic Base St. Kliment Ohridski remains a core task, including transporting fuel, food supplies, equipment and materials needed by scientists during the season. RSV 421 will also continue supporting international Antarctic cooperation by exchanging and transporting supplies for partner programmes, including those of Spain, Turkiye, Ecuador and Colombia, Muevski added.

In 2021, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy acquired RSV 421 jointly with the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. The vessel is intended to transport Bulgarian polar missions to Antarctica, support research under the National Polar Research Programme and serve in the Naval Academy’s fleet.

On December 27, 2022, RSV 421 set sail on its maiden voyage to Antarctica as part of the 31st Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition. BTA opened a National Press Club aboard the vessel in 2022 and another at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base St. Kliment Ohridski on Livingston Island in February 2024.