The first joint Russian-Vietnamese marine expedition aboard the research vessel Professor Gagarinsky in the South China Sea has been completed

Over the course of a month, the scientific team and crew carried out comprehensive oceanographic studies scheduled for 2026 under the Research and Applied Work Program of the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Center for 2025–2029. 

The expedition’s primary tasks included investigating the hydrological and bio-optical characteristics of waters, assessing the biodiversity of plankton and benthos, radiochemical monitoring of the coastal zone, and collecting data to validate satellite measurements and update nautical charts. Special attention was paid to developing effective cooperation between Russian and Vietnamese scientific groups.

All the planned work was completed in full, and a unique array of field data was obtained, which marked the favorable beginning of a long-term coordinated marine research program between the survey and cartography units and the Tropical Center.

Nadezhda A. Lipinskaya, PhD in Physics and Mathematics and Senior Researcher at the POI FEB RAS Laboratories of Satellite Oceanography and Laser Sounding and of Physical Methods of Ocean Research, served as the scientific leader for the Russian team.

The Russian expeditionary team comprised specialists with extensive experience participating in marine scientific cruises across various regions of the World Ocean:

• Fedor O. Artyushkov (IEE RAS);
• Maksim I. Gorbov (POI FEB RAS);
• Andrey V. Zavyalov (IBSS);
• Nikita A. Chikanov (IBSS).

The expedition was organized with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The events were coordinated by the Department for the Coordination of Scientific Organizations of the Minobrnauki of Russia. 

Upon completion of the mission, Colonel Thai Anh Minh, Deputy Commander of the group, personally visited the vessel to congratulate the crew of Ship 889 (Professor Gagarinsky) and the members of the working group on their successful return, and highly praised their professionalism demonstrated in the execution of their assigned tasks.