Turkish Professor Halıcı invited again to research in Antarctica

Turkish professor Gökhan Halıcı has been invited once again to Antarctica to conduct a scientific research on the categorization of lichen and bryophytes, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Dec. 25.

Halıcı, who is the only Turkish scientist in the research, is expected to stay in a Czech research station for three months. 

"I defined a new kind of lichenicolous fungus from samples of lichen, fungi and bryophytes species that I collected in Antarctica in my last visit. We returned to Turkey having obtained successful results even though it was a very brief study. Now, our aim as Turkish scientists should be to go to Antarctica and study intensively. Turkish scientists should write more scientific articles and generate more scientific knowledge in order to have a voice in research in Antarctica," he said.   

Halıcı said the Polar Research Center at the Istanbul Technical University and the Turkish Marine Research Association were working in cooperation with other countries that have stations in Antarctica.

"We contacted the Czech station, and after talks on cooperation they invited me. I will go to Antarctica again next week, to join them for two-and-a-half-months," he added. 

He said the categorization of lichen and bryophytes dominant in organisms inhabiting in Antarctica's phytosociology was crucial in understanding global warming.  

He stated that a new kind of fungi found in Antarctica was first discovered by him, and that an in-depth scientific article explaining the discovery was accepted to be published in an international magazine.