About the Antarctic
Circumnavigation
Expedition (ACE)
ACE is the first project of the Swiss Polar Institute, a newly created entity founded by EPFL, the Swiss Institute of Forest, Snow and Landscape research WSL, ETHZ, the University of Bern and Editions Paulsen. It aims to enhance international relations and collaboration between countries, as well as to spark the interest of a new generation of young scientists and explorers in polar research.
From December 2016 to March 2017, scientific teams from all over the world will board the Russian research vessel Akademik Treshnikov for an unprecedented expedition around Antarctica. From biology to climatology to oceanography, researchers will work on a number of interrelated fields for the future of this Continent.
On the Akademik Treshnikov’s way down from Bremerhaven to Cape Town, 50 young scientists will be on board following lectures and doing practical work and oceanographic work on board. The “ACE Maritime University” will be conducted under the auspices of the Russian Geographic Society and will start on 19 November from Bremerhaven.
A better understanding of Antarctica is critical, not just for its preservation, but for the whole planet. The poles are affected by climate change more than any other region on Earth. Moreover, they play a central role in providing oceans with strong underwater streams that regulate the world’s climate from the poles to the equator.
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Today, scientific progress depends more than ever on collaboration between diverse scientific domains. Polar studies are no exception. For example, marine biology depends on complex mathematical models currently being developed by oceanographers. Meanwhile, microorganisms that play an important role in transforming the atmosphere, can help climatologists to make more accurate predictions.
In order to foster an interdisciplinary culture, ACE will combine competences and know-how from a broad range of scientific disciplines. We do believe that this is the only way to understand Antarctica and its global role in today and tomorrow’s climate issues.