site.btaBulgarian Antarctic Researchers Make Discoveries Which Are "Important to the World"

Bulgaria's annual expeditions to Antarctica are not just a way to satisfy somebody's scientific curiosity, they make discoveries which are important to the world, Bulgarian Antarctic Institute President Christo Pimpirev said on Wednesday, interviewed by BTA. He spoke to the national news agency minutes before the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) set sail for the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island from the Black Sea port of Varna, starting the 32nd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition.

Pimpirev said one of the main tasks of RSV 421 is to transport successfully the structural components of a new, cutting-edge scientific laboratory which will be assembled at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base.

He went on to note: "This expedition will continue the implementation of our research programme, which will be expanded with oceanological exploration from the ship. At least 20 scientists will be working on 10 projects. One of the projects is multidisciplinary. For the first time, biologists and geologists will conduct parallel studies of ocean floor sediment around the Bulgarian Base and microorganisms and invertebrates living in the slime and the water."

Pimpirev explained that these are endemic species which are used to living at water temperatures ranging from minus 1 C to plus 1 C throughout the year. They produce specific enzymes which can be used to make new medicines.