“Let’s make concerted efforts in this expedition. Preparation is the cornerstone of success. Young members are definitely the backbone of the team.” On November 2, Prof. Ye Ying from the Ocean College of Zhejiang University sent this WeChat message to every member of the Antarctic Ocean expedition team on China’s 33rd Antarctic expedition which was launched when research vessel and icebreaker Xuelong (Snow Dragon) left a Shanghai dock. Prof. Ye was appointed as captain of the Antarctic Ocean expedition team by the State Oceanic Administration of China and the Polar Research Institute of China.
On the afternoon of November 9, the Ocean College sent its best wishes to Prof. Ye, who will board Xuelong on November 16 in Australia and embark on an almost 3-month trip.
“My primary responsibility is to coordinate the whole expedition on the Antarctic Ocean,” said Prof. Ye, “The team includes many young researchers who are from different institutions, so we need to be united as a whole in a coordinated manner, thus able to fight together. As a team leader, I also need to coordinate different academic orientations, condense various core scientific issues from different stations and inspire everyone to work together.” Prof. Ye also expressed his hope that the whole expedition team will accomplish tasks spectacularly with no casualty or loss of large equipment.
During this expedition, Prof. Ye will experiment with a multi-parameter chemical sensor to check its performance in the polar environment and its potential in the field of oceanic surveying. “Research into the ocean is principally focused on tropical and polar regions. Long-term polar research is an integral part of China’s oceanic strategy and scientific planning and is of supreme scientific significance,” said Prof. Ye.