Talent trained at the Alma Mater participates in the international scientific expedition that studies the global climate from the ‘White Continent’.
The University of Magdalena once again positions itself on global scientific stages thanks to the participation of two of its graduates in an international expedition to Antarctica. They are Dr. Enrique Acuña Morales and the environmental and health engineer with a master’s degree Andrea Manrique Cantillo, who are part of a binational scientific mission that investigates the relationship between the polar oceans and the extreme climate events that affect the planet.
The journey is part of the XII Colombian Antarctic Expedition, in international cooperation with the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico and scientists from Ukraine, a country that facilitates access to the white continent through its icebreaking ship Noosfera and the Vernadsky scientific station.
Currently, the crew is sailing over Antarctic waters, after overcoming the demanding Drake Passage, one of the most challenging maritime corridors in the world.
Science from the south of the planet
The research project in which the graduates of this Alma Mater participate seeks to characterize the vertical structure of marine heat waves and analyze their impact on biogeochemical processes and the global climate. The study pays special attention to how the anomalous warming of the ocean in areas near the Antarctic Peninsula may be connected with droughts, extreme rainfall and other phenomena that today affect tropical and subtropical regions, such as the Colombian Caribbean.
“The project was born from an international call by the Colombian Antarctic Program. We presented a proposal that was evaluated and approved for its alignment with the scientific objectives of the assignment,” explained Dr. Morales, graduate of the Bachelor’s program in Mathematics and Physics and current researcher at the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico.
“We are trying to answer how what happens in the so-called ‘thermometer of the world’ is connected to the extreme events that are being experienced today in different parts of the planet. That is our big scientific question,” he added.
The participation of Morales Acuña and Manrique Cantillo marks a historical milestone for this House of Higher Studies, by becoming the first graduates to join an Antarctic scientific expedition, a privilege accessed by only 0.02% of the world’s population dedicated to research.
“We are children of the University of Magdalena, I graduated in 2024. Carrying the name of our Alma Mater to this point on the planet is an immense pride,” said the Samario researcher.
Morales Acuña, who is also the first Samarian to participate in a scientific expedition to Antarctica, highlighted that the mission also represents a great opportunity to strengthen the international visibility of the University. “We are representing Colombia and Mexico, but the University of Magdalena is in our hearts. This achievement also belongs to it,” he stated.
For her part, Andrea Manrique Cantillo highlighted the academic and human value of the experience. “This expedition is the result of a rigorous selection and preparation process. For me, it is an invaluable opportunity to learn alongside scientists from different nationalities and backgrounds. All of this has been possible thanks to the training I received at the University of Magdalena,” he said.
“We have not yet reached Antarctica, we are still in transit, but we are already observing ice, marine fauna and a landscape that impresses and excites,” commented the young researcher.
The expedition will last approximately one month and includes field work, sampling and cooperation with scientists from Ukraine, Chile, the Czech Republic and Mexico. From the ‘White Continent’, researchers will maintain permanent communication with the institutions they represent.
With this participation, UNIMAGDALENA reaffirms the impact of its academic training and the role of its graduates in the generation of high-level scientific knowledge, contributing to the understanding of global climate challenges from one of the strategic territories of the planet.
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date: 2026-02-08 19:07:00
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