Brazil sends first research expedition to Arctic

Brazil’s first scientific expedition to the Arctic aims to explore the biodiversity of one of the planet’s coldest territories, learn more about its ecological importance and its role in global climate change, and contribute to its preservation.

Svalbard. Photo: Vince Gx/Unsplash

The Brazilian team of scientists from the Federal Universities of Brasília and Minas Gerais has been in the Svalbard archipelago—a section of the Arctic Circle that belongs to Norway—since July 8.

According to University of Brasília Professor Paulo Câmara, one of the mission’s coordinators, seven percent of Brazil’s territory is located in the northern hemisphere, which reinforces the need for research in the region.

The researchers are collecting plants, fungi, microorganisms, sediments, and other biological samples to generate data on the territory, which should help them understand the relationship between species occurring in both poles but nowhere else on the planet.

Among them is one of Câmara’s specialties: the bryophytes, a small plant species easily dispersed in polar environments.

The Arctic is prized for its vast amount of untapped resources, like oil and natural gas, and plays a crucial role in gauging environmental and economic impacts.

But the far north has been plagued over the past four decades with the swift melting of its glaciers. (Agência Brasil)

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