Trailblazing Turkish scientists back home from 3rd Arctic Ocean expedition

By Sebnem Coskun

ARCTIC OCEAN (AA) – Its on-site scientific work competed, the team of scientists that carried out Türkiye's third Arctic Ocean expedition arrived home on Monday.

Under the auspices of the Turkish presidency and the coordination of the Marmara Research Center (MAM) Polar Research Institute, which is a part of the Ankara-based Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Türkiye (TUBITAK), the scientists carried out research on such subjects as weather and atmosphere as well as marine science and physical life.

The team did research at 28 different locations for a full month in the Barents Sea of the Arctic Ocean with the Norwegian-flagged Polar Xplorer, a 62-meter (203-foot) research vessel.

Speaking to Anadolu, Captain Ozgun Oktar, the expedition leader, said: "The month of July, when we completed our expedition, went down in history as the hottest month in the world when we look at world averages."

"Maybe by 2030 there will be no sea ice left in the summer, which means polar bears' feeding grounds will be lost," Oktar said.

Burcu Ozsoy, the expedition coordinator, said: "One of the biggest risks in shipping is oil pollution spreading to the sea and ocean surface.”

“For a very long time, technologies related to oil pollution are constantly open to developments," Ozsoy said.