Turkey's 6th National Arctic Scientific Research Expedition (TASE-VI) was successfully completed after 25 days of work. The research team set out from Istanbul, sailed from Tromsø, Norway into the Arctic Ocean, and advanced up to 82 degrees north latitude.
Covering approximately 4,000 nautical miles during the expedition, the team conducted scientific sampling at 94 different stations. A total of 12 projects were carried out in the fields of oceanography, biology, chemistry, atmospheric dynamics, meteorology, geodesy and satellite systems.
Multidisciplinary Studies and International Participation
Twelve scientists took part in the expedition. Three foreign researchers from Argentina, Bulgaria and Uruguay also joined the team. The work focused on priority themes such as global climate change, threatened ecosystems and human-induced impacts within the framework of the 'National Polar Science Strategy'.
The collected samples included seawater and sediment samples, microplastic analyses, atmospheric particles, meteorological data, GNSS measurements and biological specimens. Observations were also made with an underwater drone and remote sensing validation data were collected.
Minister Kacır's Visit
Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır traveled to the settlement of Longyearbyen on Svalbard Island as part of the expedition and visited the Turkish research vessel. Chatting with scientists, Kacır received information about the work and met with Svalbard officials.
Expedition Leader Işıler: 'We Showcased Our Academic Success'
Expedition Leader Captain Doğaç Baybars Işıler said in a statement at Istanbul Airport, 'During the expedition, we covered approximately 4,000 nautical miles and successfully conducted sampling operations at 94 different stations.' Işıler noted that researchers from the Turkish Naval Forces Office of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography, as well as ITU, Istanbul University, Dokuz Eylül University and Gebze Technical University, participated.
Işıler said that three high school students who placed in the TÜBİTAK 2204-D High School Students Climate Change Research Projects Competition also had the opportunity to test their projects during the expedition. 'We implemented 12 different projects, from space observations to seabed studies,' he added.
Reminding that Turkey has bilateral cooperation agreements with 16 countries in polar research, Işıler thanked Anadolu Agency for its support in publicizing the expeditions. He emphasized that Minister Kacır's visit demonstrated the importance the state attaches to polar studies.
Işıler stated, 'With the 6th expedition, we completed the sampling stations covering the entire surroundings of the Svalbard archipelago. In terms of contribution to the literature, 80% of our country's publications in the polar field are in Q1 and Q2 journals. We have showcased our academic success, and our goal is to increase and sustain it.'
The samples brought from the expedition will be analyzed in the laboratories of relevant universities and research institutions. The results will contribute to a better understanding of environmental changes in the Arctic region and will be shared with the international scientific community.
