Antarctica Must Not Suffer Fate of Other Continents, Say Montenegrin Scientists

The future of Antarctica must be guaranteed so that it does not suffer the fate of other continents, Montenegrin scientists Dr. Vesna Macic and Dr. Aleksandar Joksimovic said in an interview with BTA. They are scientists from the Montenegrin Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Montenegro and are part of the 34th Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition. Last year, Macic was involved in studying the seabed, marine plants, protected species, as well as pollution research and mapping. Joksimovic is the head of the Montenegrin Laboratory for Marine Fisheries and Geology, and his narrow specialty is zoology, ichthyology, and marine ichthyology. 

Their participation in the 34th Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition is the result of the cooperation of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute with foreign scientists who do not have their own scientific ship or polar base in Antarctica. Dr. Macic and Dr. Joksimovic are studying the presence of plastic and microplastics in the water and on the coasts of Antarctica. Macic pointed out that local animals often perceive this plastic as food and ingest it, which is very dangerous because the plastic enters the food chain and affects more animal species. 

The two scientists conduct their research by sampling seawater from various points, lowering cameras to the bottom to monitor the ecosystem, and taking samples from the bottom that are filtered to examine the microorganisms in them. They also separately monitor the amount of inorganic waste that ends up on beaches, such as plastic, paper, rubber, and metal. 

"This strengthens cooperation between the Balkan countries. In addition, it is extremely important for us that Montenegro has the opportunity to officially be present in Antarctica and to contribute to the study of this region, which is very important for science and the whole world," Dr. Macic told BTA. "This way, we reach a wider audience and show that science knows no borders. We also show that the seas have no administrative borders and water pollution in one place is transmitted to the others," Dr. Joksimovic added that he and Dr. Macic see themselves as ambassadors of Montenegro, showing young people in their homeland that there is someone to take care of their future.

"All decisions that are made for the future at a global level must take future generations into account, because they also have the right to a healthy life and a healthy planet. Although Antarctica is the most remote continent from the rest of the world, unfortunately there is pollution here too. This is not garbage thrown away by people who live here - like on other continents, but waste that comes with water currents or from scientific bases and fishing vessels, from tourist cruise ships. And all this is thrown ashore, and we study it," explained Dr. Macic. 

The results of their studies will be combined into a joint work that will provide a clearer picture of the condition of the seabed, the presence of microorganisms, and, accordingly, the pollution with microplastics and larger waste in Antarctica. 

"Antarctica is an extremely important continent. With its ice and what it is, it influences the rest of the planet and, above all, the climate. However, under the influence of human activity, changes are also occurring there. Antarctica must remain for future generations as it is. If we destroy it as a civilization, then future generations simply have no future. Antarctica must be explored, but human influence here must be limited in the future. The future of the continent must be guaranteed, because it has an influence on the rest of the planet and it must not suffer the fate of the other continents, whose ecosystems have already been disrupted. We are running out of time," the two scientists concluded. 

 The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) departed for Antarctica from Varna (on the Black Sea) on November 7, 2025. After a month-long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, the ship arrived at the Argentine naval base in Mar del Plata on December 13.

BTA has had a national press club on board the ship since 2022 and another on Livingston Island since February 2024. BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said they exist thanks to the generous support of RSV 421 and Bulgaria’s St Kliment Ohridski Base, which provide the necessary facilities. These two press clubs are added to the news agency’s other 41 national press clubs (33 in Bulgaria, seven abroad in neighbouring countries and in nations with large Bulgarian communities, and one mobile National Book Press Club).

The news items of BTA's special correspondents on RSV 421 and Antarctica are freely available in Bulgarian and English on the agency's website. They can be used free of charge by all media, with attribution to BTA.