A group of Chinese scientists who arrived in a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean are braving harsh conditions and multiple challenges to carry out scientific tasks. The Chinese expedition on the Xue Long 2 icebreaker is now at about 77 degrees north latitude in the Chukchi Sea, where the temperature is below zero degrees Celsius. The freezing temperature is the first challenge for the scientists to overcome, especially when they have to stay out of the cabin for hours. Another challenge is posed by small free-floating pieces of sea ice, which can cause the loss of devices for water bodies and biological studies. The 13th expedition is expected to cover about 15,500 nautical miles and return at the end of September. The expedition is intended to conduct investigations into the geology and geophysics of the mid-ocean ridge, as well as atmospheric, sea ice, marine, and subsurface environmental surveys, and will also conduct surveys of biomes and pollutants.