Greece will send scientists to Antarctica for the first time, participating in the next Bulgarian mission and traveling aboard the research vessel Saints Cyril and Methodius, according to Siméon Konstantinidis, president of the Greek Polar Zones Society.
Konstantinidis, a retired vice-admiral of the Greek Navy with expertise in oceanography and meteorology, shared this news in an interview with BTA.
The Greek Polar Zones Society president recently attended the International Polar Conference on Balkan cooperation in polar regions, which took place in Anchialos, Burgas, Bulgaria, as part of the European EUPolarNet-2 and POLARIN programs.
“This is a significant step for us towards the South Pole, as it marks the first time Greece will send its own scientists to Antarctica,” said Konstantinidis. “I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Hristo Pimpirev, who opened the doors of the Bulgarian Antarctic base to us.”
One of the Greek scientists traveling this year is a professor from the University of Athens who specialises in astrophysics and will conduct astronomical observations. Another Greek participant, a professor from the Technical University of Crete, will conduct psychological tests to assess depression among people living in isolated environments. Additionally, she will experiment with videos designed to improve the emotional well-being of individuals in remote settings and measure the magnetic field humans emit under different emotional states.
Konstantinidis highlighted Bulgaria’s achievements in Antarctic science, adding, “We aim to follow in Bulgaria’s footsteps and learn from their experience.”
Looking ahead, Konstantinidis expressed hope that this collaboration with Balkan and European countries will continue, enabling Greece to send scientists to Antarctica annually and eventually develop its own base or share resources with neighbouring countries.
The conference also included representatives from the Alfred Wegener Institute, the Spanish Polar Committee, Poland’s Polar Research Center, and delegates from other Balkan nations such as Turkey, Romania, and Cyprus. The event featured the presentation of the May issue of the magazine LIK, dedicated to Bulgarian scientific achievements in Antarctica. BTA announced plans to release this edition in Spanish as well.
