MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Russian voyager and explorer Fyodor Konyukhov, his expedition headquarters and the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oceanology on Monday have signed a memorandum of cooperation in Global Ocean studies and development, TASS reports.

Their first joint project will be the institute’s scientific and technical support for Konyukhov’s voyage across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans aboard a solar-powered catamaran. The expedition will see the explorer measuring how polluted the oceans are.

"I travel a lot, the ocean’s pollution is clearly noticeable. I’m in the age when I’d like to make more scientific and technical records rather than the sports ones. It’s time we worked together," Konyukhov said.

Fyodor Konyukhov is planning a solo crossing of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in 2021-2022 for the first time in the world history aboard NOVA, a specifically designed catamaran run completely on solar energy. During the expedition, he will conduct ecological monitoring of the water’s microplastic pollution level.

The voyage is split into two stages. In February-March 2021, Konyukhov intends to cover the Canary Islands-Antigua route, around 3,000 nautical miles. The second part of the journey will see him crossing the Pacific Ocean, travelling from Chile to Australia and covering 9,000 nautical miles. Overall, the voyage is expected to take 6 months.

Fyodor Konyukhov is a Russian survivalist, voyager, aerial and marine explorer who has so far completed five solo circumnavigations. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean 17 times and became the first Russian to complete the Explorers Grand Slam: he climbed the highest mountains on all seven continents and visited the North Pole and the South Pole. Between 1992 and 1997, Konyukhov conquered Mount Elbrus, Mount Everest, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Vinson Massif as well as Mount Kosciuszko and Denali (also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name). In 2007, Konyukhov circumnavigated the Southern Hemisphere aboard a sailing yacht dubbed the Scarlet Sails when he crossed the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.