Russian research vessel Akademik Oparin berths in Khánh Hòa for collaborative oceanic exploration
HAHL HAUL: The Russian research vessel, Akademik Oparin, dropped anchor at Nha Trang port in Khánh Hoà on May 1, heralding the start of the 9th joint marine expedition with Vietnam's Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and Russia's Academy of Sciences.
This venture, running from May 1 to May 25, is a vital component of the cooperation roadmap between VAST and its Russian counterpart in the 2018-2025 period. As the two nations celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties, this collaborative endeavor underscores a strengthening scientific alliance.
Akademik Oparin, at 75.5-meters, is an advanced vessel purpose-built for biochemical and biodiversity research. It will serve as the floating lab for a team of 30 scientists from both countries to conduct their research. Over the next three weeks, they'll survey coastal and deep-sea stations in southern Vietnamese waters, executing a precise scientific agenda.
The research tackles pressing environmental issues such as marine pollution, the proliferation of microplastics, the circulation of persistent organic pollutants, and the application of remote sensing to support environmental monitoring and aquaculture. The outcomes of these investigations will be presented at a scientific symposium slated for May 27 at the VAST's Institute of Oceanography in Nha Trang city.
Assoc. Prof. Đào Việt Hà, the director of the institute, believes this is the fifth time Akademik Oparin has visited Nha Trang port since 2005. Additionally, this expedition marks the fifth occasion that the institute has been entrusted by VAST to lead this essential marine exploration.
With a weight of over 2,440 tonnes, Akademik Oparin is outfitted with cutting-edge equipment to support long-duration deep-sea expeditions and features onboard laboratories designed for immediate sample processing during the journey.
As the 2021 survey plans haven't been disclosed in detail, we can look to a similar survey in 2025 to get a sense of the research's objectives. There, the focus was on updating and supplementing existing data on biodiversity, environmental quality, and marine biological resources. Moreover, the team collected marine and environmental samples for biochemical and microbiological analysis, targeting the potential of marine biological compounds[1]. They also examined factors related to marine pollution, microplastics, and persistent organic pollutants and employed remote sensing data for environmental monitoring and aquaculture.
Russian research vessel Akademik Oparin. VNA/VNS Photo
VNS.
- The Akademik Oparin, a 75.5-meter vessel equipped for biochemical and biodiversity research, docked at Nha Trang port on May 1.
- This visit marks the fifth time Akademik Oparin has visited Nha Trang port since 2005, and the fifth occasion that the Institute of Oceanography has led this marine expedition with VAST.
- The collaboration between VAST and Russia's Academy of Sciences, represented by Akademik Oparin, revolves around environmental research, focusing on issues such as marine pollution, microplastics, and persistent organic pollutants.
- Over the next three weeks, a team of 30 scientists from both nations will undertake research, surveying coastal and deep-sea stations in southern Vietnamese waters.
- The Akademik Oparin is outfitted with advanced technology, including onboard laboratories for immediate sample processing during the journey and equipment to support long-duration deep-sea expeditions.
- The current survey's objectives are not yet disclosed in detail, but based on the 2025 survey, the research aims to update and supplement existing data on biodiversity, environmental quality, and marine biological resources.
- Scientists will also collect marine and environmental samples for biochemical and microbiological analysis, and explore the potential of marine biological compounds in the context of health-and-wellness and therapeutics-and-treatments.
- The findings of these marine expeditions will contribute to the field of environmental science, climate-change studies, and the development of environmental monitoring systems, particularly in the areas of aquaculture and oceanography.
