Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır stated that the Turkish team that carried out the 3rd National Arctic Scientific Research Expedition (TASE-III) returned home with important results and said, "We completed the expedition very successfully. Turkey will continue to be one of the leading countries in scientific research as in many fields."

Kacır made an assessment of the work of the scientific delegation that carried out the Arctic Expedition, which lasted about 1 month.

Stating that the research team consisting of TÜBİTAK, Turkish Naval Forces Command, General Directorate of Meteorology, Anadolu Agency, research institutes, universities and foreign scientists participating in the expedition within the scope of bilateral cooperation carried out scientific studies by sampling and measuring at 28 stations, Kacır said that these studies will reveal results that will shed light on the future of the world. Kacır informed that the expedition team carried out scientific research for 14 different projects at sampling points in the Barents Sea and said: "Our team investigated various topics ranging from the ecosystem in the Arctic Ocean to the status of fish and marine life, meteorological developments and pollution in the atmosphere. We completed the expedition very successfully. Turkey will continue to be one of the leading countries in scientific research as in many other fields. As the government, we attach great importance to scientific research. We are taking steps to contribute to the world scientific literature. Both our Antarctic and Arctic expeditions are indicators of this understanding."

Emphasizing that research on climate change and environmental pollution has an important place in the expedition, Kacır said that the findings, including the determination of pollutants in the sea, microplastics and observation of sea ice, will contribute to those conducting research in these fields. Kacır stated that studies were carried out at 28 different sampling points and said, "The poles have different meanings for our scientists both because they are the places where climate change is experienced the fastest and because of the living things they harbor. At the same time, the Arctic region is home to one-third of the world's hydrocarbon reserves. The Northern Sea belt, which has recently come to the fore, seems to be a candidate to become one of the new trade routes. In such a geography that has become so strategic, we will also have the right to conduct research and have a say."

"The poles are important in the fight against climate change"

Emphasizing that scientific research shows that the Arctic region is affected twice as much by the effects of global climate change, Kacır said: "Both the fact that these effects can be observed more clearly and the fact that the world is considered as a whole with its two polar regions makes this region valuable in terms of scientific research. Considering that the effects of global climate change are not limited to the polar regions, conducting scientific research in these regions and producing data that will shed light on the future is also important for all mid-latitude countries, including Turkey."

Kacır said that within the scope of the expedition, studies were conducted on microplastics, biodiversity, air quality, marine pollution, renewable energy, maritime and oceanography. Explaining that in order to investigate the levels of human-induced pollution in the Arctic region, which is under environmental impact, the analysis of parameters such as heavy metals, nutrients, suspended solids in seawater samples taken from many points throughout the expedition will be carried out in TÜBİTAK MAM laboratories, Kacır said that seawater physical parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH level, conductivity and salinity that affect the ecosystem are measured at these points. Kacır stated that the diversity of bacteria that live on microplastics, which pose a danger to the seas and oceans, by breaking down these substances, is among the issues investigated within the scope of the expedition, and used the following expressions: "The results to be obtained from bacteria adapted to cold climate conditions are aimed to contribute to the reduction of plastic pollution in the seas by biotechnological studies in the future. Phytoplankton and chlorophyll-a change, which are important parameters in observing environmental impacts in the Barents Sea, were examined with the help of aerial photographs taken by UAV during the expedition. The data to be processed and the existing satellite images covering large areas will be used in research. The data will be verified with the ground data measured within the scope of the expedition and the spatial distribution of environmental impacts in the region will be revealed."

Kacır stated that wind speed, air temperature, humidity, pressure, global insolation and sea water temperature parameters were measured and recorded with the help of the "Automatic Meteorological Observation Station" installed on the ship during the voyage route. Minister Kacır added that these records will contribute to the local observation of the effects of climate change by providing input to existing climate models and remote sensing studies in the Arctic, where ground data has low resolution.

"Exploring the potential for the use of solar energy"

Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK, stated that the Department of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography of the Naval Forces Command carried out measurements of color, light refraction and visibility distance parameters over the sea and said, "Since almost 95 percent of the seas and oceans where most of the world's transportation is carried out are not mapped, the measurements made during the expedition will not only test the consistency of satellite-based bathymetry data, but will also contribute to the production of new maps with remote sensing in this region where maritime traffic is rapidly increasing."

Mandal said that within the scope of the expedition, existing open data on the follow-up of the execution of the legislation on offshore fisheries in the Arctic Ocean were examined, and that observations were made on the subject by collecting expert opinions from people carrying out fishing activities in the region. Explaining that particulate matter measurements were carried out in the air with continuous measurement systems installed on the ship to determine the level of air pollution on the expedition route, Mandal said: "Thanks to these measurements carried out every year, the effects of industrial and maritime transportation activities in the region on air quality will be revealed. Atmospheric factors affecting this parameter will be investigated periodically by comparing the changes in both polar regions with the UV radiation data measured during the expedition. In addition, measurements made on the photovoltaic thermal collector will provide information on the potential for the use of solar energy as a renewable energy source in the polar regions and equivalent carbon emission values."

Stating that the adsorbent material produced within the scope of the project, which won first place in the TEKNOFEST Turkey final among the "TÜBİTAK 2204-D High School Students Climate Change Research Projects", was tested in the Arctic region, Mandal said that materials were collected in the region to develop education and awareness activities about the poles.

"Researchers from 3 different countries participated"

Noting that researchers from Brazil, Czechia and Norway also participated in the expedition, Mandal said: "During the expedition, foreign researchers carried out studies on the genetic diversity of fish adapted to cold conditions in the Barents Sea, the impact of global climate change on phytoplankton distribution and diversity, the implementation of applicable maritime legislation in the polar regions and the identification of deficiencies. In addition, seawater and phytoplankton samples were taken and delivered to Dirigibile Arctic Research Station in Ny-Alesund in cooperation with the Italian Polar Research Institute. These collaborations gave the expedition an international dimension and contributed to our country's efforts in science diplomacy. The process of becoming a party to the Svalbard (Spitsbergen) Treaty, the fact that scientific activities in the region continue to gain momentum, and the fact that our country is gaining observer country status in the Arctic Council constitute solid foundations."

TÜBİTAK President Mandal said that the first findings of the studies of the researchers participating in the expedition will be shared with other scientists at the 7th National Polar Sciences Symposium to be held on November 30-December 1.