New Antarctic expedition to provide data on climate change

The Colombian research vessel ARC Simon Bolivar has made its way through the Gerlache Strait, a strait that separates the Palmer Archipelago from the Antarctic Peninsula. A team of 39 researchers from different countries will investigate the state of the Antarctic Ocean and its biodiversity. Now in summer, temperatures in Antarctica can reach between 0 to -25 degrees Celsius (-13 Fahrenheit).

This is already the 10th Antarctic expedition for the Colombian vessel, taking researchers to the most remote areas where penguins, whales and occasionally seals live. By studying the marine animals and the water, the scientists hope to gain new insights into the consequences of climate change.

"Antarctica is the world's refrigerator," said Pablo Araujo, a researcher at the Central University of Ecuador. "What we want to see is how climate change is affecting the world's refrigerator and how that affects the whole quantity of nutrients [in the ocean]." A23a, the largest iceberg in Antarctica, is already subject to constant erosion.

On board the ship, researchers are carrying out a project to model Antarctic ecosystems using machine-learning techniques. Using these models, supplemented by satellite images, the researchers are investigating the dynamics of greenhouse gas flows in Antarctic ecosystems.

Here, Colombian researcher Diego Mujica is seen taking a skin sample from a humpback whale using a special harpoon. These samples are examined to gather information about the whales' diet, environmental pollution and diseases.

One Colombian team is launching a battery of Niskin bottles, used to take water samples, into the ocean. "Once [they] come to the surface, we proceed to take these samples for later analysis," said Alexis Grattz, a researcher from the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs.

The Colombian expedition was seen off by President Gustavo Petro in Buenaventura last month. "If the ice melts in Antarctica, the sea level will rise, which will affect many coastal cities, including here in Colombia," said Petro. "This means that we will have to withdraw if we are not able to stop this climate crisis."