Tara Oceans

Edito

Tara has left in Muscat and on her way to Mumbaï.

Click here (bottom of the page) to find the new Journal Tara Oceans (N°6).

journal de bord

15/03/2010

When the "rosette" yields to the Compass Rose...

The little technological marvel that is the "rosette", nickname for the CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth measuring device and the rosette of sampling bottles) is finally in use once again! But it certainly wasn't an easy feat.
 
"We're back in business!": A man of action, captain Hervé Bourmand doesn't try to hide his satisfaction. Ever since mid January, the rosette has remained dry. After a month and a half spent analyzing corals in the Djibouti area and making supply runs, the serious stuff is finally starting. The baptism of the CTD-rosette -which is at the heart of Tara's mission- was originally planned for the night stretching from Wednesday to Thursday, right after our departure from the Persian-Arabic gulf, the crossing the strait of Ormuz and arrival into the Gulf of Oman, antechamber of the Indian Ocean. No more closed seas for us!
 
Ever since casting off in Abu Dhabi, sailing against the wind, Tara was going full blast using both sails and engines. However, as the Omani island of Great Quoin -the eastern extremity of the Arabic peninsula- was drawing closer, the winds turned and grew stronger.
These were ideal conditions for us to switch off our two diesel engines, something which everyone rejoiced about! Towards the end of the evening, the scientific team got together to set the agenda for this leg of the journey, during which, after quite a break, our sampling and filtration program is starting up again. The launch was then planned for 2.00 AM, and required the presence of nearly everyone onboard. Those who could quickly tried to stock up on a few hours of sleep, in prevision of the short night awaiting us.
 
Unfortunately, the wind kept on getting stronger. At midnight, it was blowing at a strength of about 25 knots, and the trough of the waves reached over 1.5m. Tara kept going steadily, at an honorable speed of 9 to 10 knots, even as the oil rigs, hydrocarbon shipping terminals and moored ships increased in number between her starboard side and the coast, and as traffic around her grew denser.
 
Cargo ships passed us, less than a half mile from our route: one of them even seemed to be heading straight towards us until it veered off at the last second and hugged our starboard side instead. The wind reached 35-40 knots, the troughs reached over 2.5m, breaking over Tara's hull.
We hauled the genoa down to install a trinquette instead, in order to avoid excessive solicitation of  the rigging.
 
Because the manipulation a 130kg rosette in the middle of the night by a brand new crew would most certainly be very tricky, Hervé decided it would be wiser to not set up a sampling station in the area.
 
Together with Stéphane Pesant, scientific coordinator of the expedition, he mapped out a new destination for Tara, away from this busy area but just as close to the continental plateau. There's a good reason for this: it is essential for researchers to begin collecting samples in shallow waters first, in order to analyze the changes as depth increases.  It was then determined that the Rosette would be launched at 6am. Shortly after sunrise, the device, charged with its bottles and various sensors was lowered into the water, as if for a baptism, Coordinates: 24°54'767 N et 56°52'878.
 
Thus, the CTD has re-begun its long task of observer of the oceans of the globe .When hauled  back up to the surface 26 minutes later, Marc Picheral - the engineer- was a long way from trying to hide his satisfaction: "it's very nice to see that all the sensors are working, even though they hadn't been used in more than a month: all you have to do is press on the button and it comes out!" Immediately after that, sampling and filitering took over: But this here is only the beginning, the analysis is to be continued in various parts of the world, in different labs!

Jerôme Bastion.

La position actuelle de Tara

Téléchargez directement la carte actualisée :

Focus

Tara Oceans Exhibition at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie
Follow the Tara Oceans expedition in real time!

The Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie is proud to host an educational
exhibit presented by Tara Expeditions. The exhibit, opening  on March 23rd
2010 and on display for a few months, will introduce the Tara Oceans
expedition and its goal, which is none other than improving scientific
knowledge about the micro-organisms populating the oceans of the globe - a
 marine life responsible for half of our planet's oxygen production.
 
The 120m2 display of the exhibition is divided into three parts, access to
which is free of charge:
 
Tara, a research vessel
Within Tara's bow -represented by a wooden structure, is a
visitor-operated video screen which will play films concerning life
onboard the ship. By steering the wheel, the visitor will make a selection
amid the various themes offered, among which can be found: a presentation
of the crew and scientists, the different stages of a sampling station,
portraits of certain plankton species identified during the expedition...
such are the themes of the videos produced by the CNRS/image or by
Thalassa, which this amusing manipulation will enable visitors to
discover.
 
The expedition, the journey, Tara in real-time
As for Tara's stern, it hosts an interactive map with which visitors will
follow the expedition's progress in real time. A screen equipped with a
tactile pad will enable visitors to discover  - or rediscover - the
crucial moments of the journey, as they look at photos, videos,
interviews, mini documentaries, etc.
 
Science on board
Scientific explanations will be displayed on a  4m vertical column meant
to represent the water column analyzed by Tara Oceans. Visitors will be
given the opportunity to find out more about the role oceans play in the
global climactic system, Tara's scientific study fields, various species
studied and their respective functions.

Practical informations :
Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie
30, avenue Corentin-Cariou - 75019 Paris
Metro Stop : Porte de la Villette - Cité des sciences
Open tuesday to saturday,
from 10am to 6pm, sundays from 10am to 7pm,
closed on mondays.
Free of charge

Accompanying the exhibit, a lecture, Saturday, March 27th in the auditorium:
"The biodiversity of plankton and its impact on the global system".
Colomban de Vargas (CNRS, protist biodiversity), Chris Bowler (Ecole
Normale Superieure/CNRS) and Olivier Jaillon,  (Genoscope, genomics)

L'Equipe

  • Eric Karsenti
  • Etienne Bourgois

  • Jérôme Bastion
  • Et aussi
  • Silvia Gonzalez-Acinas
  • Alain Giese
  • Hervé Bourmaud
  • Julien Girardot
  • Mathilde Ménard
  • Stefanie Kandels-Lewis
  • Emmanuel Reynaud
  • Guillaume Bracq
  • Fabrice Not
  • Jean Weissenbach
  • Christian Sardet
  • Daniel Cron
  • Gaby Gorsky
  • Colomban de Vargas
  • Chris Bowler
  • Francesca Benzoni
  • Philippe Clais
  • Romain Troublé
  • Éloïse Fontaine
  • Anne Ghuysen Watrin
  • Michael Pitiot
  • Myriam Thomas
  • Didier Velayoudon

Tara expeditions

revivez l'aventure

visitez notre boutique en ligne

Langue/Language

  • langue française
  • English language

Calendrier Evénements

27/03/2010

Conférence à la Cité des Sciences

27/03/2010

Conférence à la Cité des Sciences, Paris - Porte de la Vilette
Samedi 27 mars, à 15h:
Biodiversité du plancton et son impact sur la système Terre
avec : Colomban de Vargas, coordinateur scientifique Tara Oceans, CNRS, écologie et évolution du plancton. Chris Bowler, coordinateur scientifique Tara Oceans,
directeur de laboratoire de biologie à l’École normale supérieure
Olivier Jaillon, génomie, Génoscope.
Connexion avec Tara.

23/03/2010

Venez suivre l’expédition en temps réel à la Cité des sciences

23/03/2010

Come follow the Tara Oceans expedition in real time at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie in Paris

The Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie is proud to host an educational
exhibit presented by Tara Expeditions. The exhibit, opening  on March 23rd
2010 and on display for a few months, will introduce the Tara Oceans
expedition and its goal, which is none other than improving scientific
knowledge about the micro-organisms populating the oceans of the globe - a
 marine life responsible for half of our planet's oxygen production.

The 120m2 display of the exhibition is divided into three parts, access to
which is free of charge:
- Tara, a research vessel
- The expedition, the journey, Tara in real-time
- Science on board

Practical informations :
Free of charge
Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie
30, avenue Corentin-Cariou - 75019 Paris
Metro Stop : Porte de la Villette - Cité des sciences
Open tuesday to saturday,
from 10am to 6pm, sundays from 10am to 7pm,
closed on mondays.

12/03/2010

ITW du chef scientifique

12/03/2010

ITW d'Antoine Sciandra. Le chef scientifique à bord de Tara explique l'intérêt tout particulier qu'il y a à étudier la zone nord de l'Océan Indien. Cliquez ici

01/03/2010

A la manoeuvre

24/02/2010

Parution du nouveau Journal Tara Oceans !

24/02/2010

Le nouveau Journal Tara Oceans est en ligne sur le lien suivant (en bas de la page) : Cliquez ici pour télécharger le Journal Tara Oceans N°6

09/02/2010

Le site Tara Junior est en ligne ! www.tarajunior.org

09/02/2010


Apprendre au rythme de l’expédition

Le site www.tarajunior.org s’adresse aux professeurs en mettant à leur disposition de nombreux supports pédagogiques (fiches pédagogiques, photos, vidéos, liens...) et en leur proposant la mise en place d’animations pour leurs classes.


Le Club Tara Junior pour les explorateurs en herbe

Le site s’adresse également directement aux enfants à travers le Club Tara Junior en leur proposant des newsletters, des expériences, des interviews, des jeux & concours interactifs.

www.tarajunior.org

01/02/2010

Tara Oceans, project of the International Year of Biodiversity

01/02/2010

The United Nations proclaimed 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity, and people all over the world are working to safeguard this irreplaceable natural wealth and reduce biodiversity loss.

Tara Oceans is a project of the International Year of Biodiversity

24/11/2009

Interview with Rainer Friedrich, World Courier

24/11/2009

Interview with Chris Bowler, scientific coordinator of Tara Oceans

24/11/2009

Interview de Chris Bowler, scientific coordinator of Tara Oceans

23/10/2009

ITW Chris Bowler

23/10/2009

02/10/2009

Oceans of Tomorrow

02/10/2009

Oceans of Tomorrow: the Tara Oceans Expedition and Star Projects in EU Marine Research" has been presented at the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) in Barcelona on 2-3 October 2009.

01/09/2009

AFP, partner of Tara Oceans

01/09/2009

Agence France-Presse has decided to provide its support to the Tara-Oceans international scientific expedition.
"The issue here is universal and the adventure singular," states Pierre Louette, CEO of the agency in a press release. "It involves informing as many as possible of the general public increaingly more of what our oceans are suffering, and yet what makes them still so rich, and spread a message of environmental awareness," adds Mr. Louette.
"By contributing through its information distributed to the entire world in science and awareness, the Agency is faithful to its missions," he concludes.

06/07/2009

Tara becomes an Endowment Fund.

06/07/2009

For 5 years, Tara, headed by Etienne Bourgois and as lead partner agnès b., carries out expeditions in favour of the environment.
In May 2009, Tara has changed its statute and has become an Endowment Fund, structured without any profit-making aim.
 
The aim of the Tara Endowment Fund is to finance the French scientific research related on the impact of climatic warming change on ecosystems, to promote awareness to the general public on environmental issues and to make known the scientific data for educational purposes.