The multi-disciplinary research team will sail more than 3500km south aboard NIWA’s ice-strengthened research vessel. Photo: NIWA
Researchers to unveil Antarctic secrets
As New Zealanders search for the summer sun, 38 researchers and crew will board RV Tangaroa tomorrow for a six-week science voyage deep into the waters of Antarctica.
The multi-disciplinary research team will sail more than 3500km south aboard NIWA’s ice-strengthened research vessel. They will undertake a packed science programme focused on the ecosystem and ocean physics within the Ross Sea.
A key focus of the voyage is the 1.5 million km² Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA), which is the world’s largest and protects some of the most productive ecosystems in the Southern Ocean.
The voyage is funded by a combination of the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, the Antarctic Science Platform and international research partners including the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA).