Antarctica: the ACE expedition completes its second leg

The ACE expedition has arrived in Chile. This marks the end of its second leg, during which the researchers made a stop on Antarctica, explored little-known ecosystems using a remote-controlled submersible and visited relatively uncharted territory. The third leg of the expedition, featuring stops on three remote islands, will get under way on Sunday. The Akademik Treshnikov , the Russian research ship carrying the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE), is now docked in Punta Arenas, Chile, some 13,000 kilometers from Switzerland. The ship's arrival in this small city, at the southern tip of South America, marked the end of the expedition's second leg. The Treshnikov left Cape Town, South Africa at the end of December on a 90-day voyage around Antarctica. The ship is carrying 50 international researchers who are conducting 22 research projects.