Collaborative research is expected to diversify scientific knowledge about the World Ocean.

The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Cooperation, in which the parties plan to implement joint scientific, educational and expeditionary projects, took place on March 23, 2020 at Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of RAS.

One of the first projects implemented within the framework of the created cooperation will be the environmental monitoring of the World Ocean, during which Fedor Konyukhov NOVA solar-powered catamaran  will be equipped with a unique microplastic collection system developed by scientists of Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of RAS.

Previous studies allowed us to build ideas about the degree of pollution of the sea with plastic based on samples collected from the sea surface. The system created by the Institute operates in a semi-autonomous mode and makes it possible to carry out continuous plastic sampling in the subsurface layer of the sea along the course of the vessel at depths of 1-5 m. Using this system will significantly improve the understanding of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of microplastic contamination in the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans passed by Fedor Konyukhov.

In addition to conducting environmental monitoring, the parties plan to study the topography of the seabed, underwater flora and fauna, as well as to study the dynamics of ocean circulation, the mechanisms of water mixing in order to mathematically model the physical processes occurring in the ocean.