KOCHI
On the deck of the RV Tangaroa, a deepwater research vessel in the Ross Sea, marine scientist Sherine Sonia Cubelio gazes at the expansive horizon. Before her, the brilliant Antarctic glaciers glow in the sunlight.
The ship is now only a hundred meters from Coulman Island, which hosts the world’s largest colony of emperor penguins.
Dr. Cubelio, representing India on this multi-national expedition, is part of a team of 20 researchers from various countries. They are studying this unique environment during Antarctica’s summer, when the sun shines for 24 hours a day. “It’s around minus 5°C outside, but it can drop to minus 40°C in winter,” she explains. “Now, at 8 p.m., the night is still bright, and the glaciers sparkle in the sunlight.”
The Ross Sea, which spans 1.55 million square kilometers, is a protected marine area, ensuring its biodiversity is preserved. No fishing is allowed here.
India is collaborating with the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere in New Zealand for this 40-day mission. They aim to evaluate the living resources in the Ross Sea and understand their diversity and distribution.
Dr. Cubelio and her team will collect water samples and analyze environmental DNA. This data will help them learn about zooplankton and fish populations in and around the protected area, according to G.V.M. Gupta, the Director of the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) in Kochi.
The expedition, which set sail from Wellington, New Zealand, on January 14, brings together scientists from New Zealand, India, Australia, Europe, and the U.K. They are conducting multidisciplinary research to explore how climate change affects this delicate polar ecosystem.
The Ross Sea plays a crucial role in sea ice production, impacting ocean currents and global climate patterns, Dr. Gupta notes. This region offers a valuable opportunity to study climate change directly.
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