The Italian icebreaker Laura Bassi reached the waters of the Antarctic after passing the 60th parallel south, thus starting the oceanographic campaign. This year on Laura Bassi, which belongs to the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics, 28 researchers will alternate within 8 research projects. Laura Bassi's journey began on November 17, when it left Italy for New Zealand, embarking on a navigation of about 40 days not without unforeseen and unexpected events, including the rescue at sea of 94 migrants intercepted on a boat adrift in the Ionian Sea off the Greek coast. During the first oceanographic campaign, which will end at the beginning of February, seven of the eight projects will be implemented: the launch and recovery of buoys (floating and drifter) for the study of marine circulation; recovery and launching of mooring, i.e. measurement systems anchored to the sea floor used for the study of physical and chemical characteristics of the water column; coring through multicorer or box corers for the geological study of the seabed. In addition, there will be scientific fishing activities and biological and chemical-physical laboratory investigations. On myway.enea.it you can follow the ship's route in real time.
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