The dive Antarctica team has recently come together to discuss the necessity for a clean up operation to take place in 2008. After completing several successful diving expeditions in the area, the team discovered an abundance of rubbish, wastes and other pollutants that littered the underwater environment. It is their mission to return to the region in 2008, in order to aid in the removal and disposal of this rubbish and possibly, with the aid of appropriate authorities, retrieve artefacts which remain submerged. It is the intention of the team that these artifacts be sorted and distributed to appropriate museums for study and education.

Primarily the team will take on the difficult duty of hard rubbish removal. Their diving skills and experience will also be utilized in assisiting researcher's in their important environmental studdies. As the team comprises the most experienced divers, their skills will be highly beneficial in all areas of this operation.

The team also wish to re-visit the Governor Wreck, located at Enterprise Island to take part in a more extensive clean up operation of the area. Information gathered on their return visit will be used to help asses the possible need to further regulate the increasing number of tourists visiting the area.


Primary Objectives

Australian Dive Team Objectives

  • To collect all foreign underwater objects.
  • To collect and preserve artefacts of historical significants and have the artefacts placed in suitable museums to ensure that Antarctica's history is preserved for years to come.
  • Assist the Ukrainian Research team in gaining all materials required for their studies proposed for 2008-2009.
  • If time persists a follow up clean up which will also give a indication of the accumulation of rubbish in the past 12 months since our last visit.

Ukranian Team Objectives

  • Study species composition of macro- and micro- epibionts on different materials of anthropogenic origin (iron, cooper metals, wood, cardboard, rubber, plastic and others), use these object as the habitats or refuges.
  • Calculate the quantity of large hydrobionts on different anthropogenic objects and to estimate their selectivity to the different materials.
  • Conduct experimental studies of epibionts, their influence on different materials and the accumulation of different substances during the year (in the period of wintering 12 Ukrainian Antarctic expedition 2008-2009).
  • Study the destruction of different objects under the affects of sea water and other sea organisms.
  • Study the accumulation and affects of heavy metals and other harmful chemical substances on small  and large hydrobionts.

The full Ukranian Proposal is available Here.

Common Objectives

  • Clean up of the underwater area near the Ukrainian Antarctic station "Akademik Vernadsky" and the removal of solid construction and household trash, located 20m underwater from Jetty to Marina Point. 
  • Clean area of water near “Wordie House” and the removal of solid construction and household trash, located 15 m underwater in Scua Creek.
  • Package and store all collected wastes for its removal from the station by ship, together with other waste, which has been collected by Ukrainian (winterers) during the year.
  • Photo and video documentation regarding all aspects of this project to be carried out.
  • Collect samples of hydrobionts for further study in laboratories. (studies to be carried out by Ukraninan Research Team )
  • Collect solid trash from the sea for further study relating to chemical composition. (studies to be carried out by Ukraninan Research Team )

This project is been endoresed by the National Antarctic Scientific Centre of Ukraine and is currently awaiting funding approval.