site.btaNew Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition to Focus on Research, 25 Studies Planned

The main focus of the 34th Bulgarian Antarctic expedition is on scientific research, Bulgarian Antarctic Institute head Prof. Christo Pimpirev said during a presentation of the expedition's crew and goals here on Wednesday. A total of 25 scientific projects will be carried out by Bulgarian and foreign researchers.

In Prof. Pimpirev's words, Antarctica is the continent on which the climate of the entire planet depends, including Bulgaria's. "Climate change affects our lives and livelihoods because we are already seeing how destructive the cataclysms of weather are - fires, floods, and casualties around the world," he added. 

Prof. Pimpirev and Lyubomir Mateev, logistics manager of the Bulgarian base in Antarctica and Deputy Director of the National Center for Polar Studies, noted that this year's Bulgarian expedition also includes scientists from other countries, such as Greece, Montenegro, and Romania. A major marine biology project will be carried out together with scientists from Portugal and the United States. Last year's cooperation with the United Arab Emirates continues for this expedition, with scientists from the National Center of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi and Khalifa University joining the expedition to set up a joint meteorological laboratory at the Bulgarian base. 

"We also have 15 Bulgarian scientific projects that will be carried out on site, with the participation of our scientists working in extremely harsh conditions," said Prof. Pimpirev.

Mateev noted that this year, there are plans to furnish the new laboratory at the Bulgarian base in Antarctica, as well as to upgrade existing systems. During the 34th Bulgarian Antarctic expedition, a total of 25 scientific projects will be carried out, 15 of which are by teams from Bulgaria in the fields of microbiological research, marine biology, medicine, sociology, space research, and oceanology. Systematic observations of the polar environment will continue, given the climate changes. The scientific teams are from the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, the Technical University, and various institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

On November 6, the first group of 12 Bulgarians - nine logisticians and two scientists - will fly to Punta Arenas, Chile, Prof. Pimpirev said as he presented the expedition's schedule. On November 7, Bulgaria's military research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metorii (RSV 421) will begin its 45-day voyage from Varna (on the Black Sea) to Livingston Island. Around December 22, the ship should be back in Punta Arenas. There, she will be joined by the main group of Bulgarian polar researchers, said Prof. Pimpirev. The ship will operate for two months in the vicinity of Livingston Island, in the Bransfield Strait on the Antarctic Peninsula. 

"We not only conduct research in the ocean, but also in the vicinity of the South Shetland Islands and Antarctica - something that very few countries manage to achieve. We can proudly say that Bulgaria is not a forgotten country on the eastern edge of Europe, on the shores of a semi-enclosed sea like the Black Sea," Prof. Pimpirev added.