Antarctica: the R/V Laura Bassi concludes its research campaign

The Italian research vessel Laura Bassi, operated by OGS, has completed the mission that saw it navigate Antarctic waters for four months in support of research activities on the physical and biogeochemical dynamics of specific areas of the continent.

With the icebreaker’s return to the port of Lyttelton in New Zealand, the 41st scientific expedition to Antarctica—funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as part of the National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA) - comes to an end. The program is managed by the National Research Council (CNR) for scientific coordination, by ENEA for the planning and logistical organization of activities at Antarctic bases, and by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS for the technical and scientific management of the icebreaker Laura Bassi.

The scientific mission involved 44 technical and scientific personnel and 23 crew members on board, who carried out five PNRA-funded research projects as well as logistical support activities.

The return to Italy, to Trieste, of the ship and its crew is expected in the second half of April after a voyage that will see the Laura Bassi first cross the South Pacific Ocean and then the Atlantic, before reaching the Mediterranean by passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. In recent days, moreover, restrictions on air traffic in some transit areas have made it necessary for ENEA to reorganize the international flights returning scientific personnel to Europe.