First scientific results from Tara Oceans

After two-and-a-half years of study in all the oceans of the world, the Tara Oceans expedition will reveal some preliminary results this fall.

Data includes the identification of marine species and their genomes, with an initial surprise provided by the "census of species of protists, primitive organisms which are single cells with nuclei,” says Chris Bowler, one of the principal scientific coordinators of the mission and Director of Research (CNRS) at the Institute of Biology, Ecole Normale Superieure.

“Formerly there were estimated to be about 80,000 species of protists on the planet. The Tara Oceans expedition has identified at first glance about 1,500,000!” Other publications – concerning the impact of the environment on biodiversity and the effects of ocean circulation on ecosystems – are planned for 2013.

 At a total cost of 10 million euros, the Tara Oceans mission will get funding from the program “Investments for the Future”.  20 French laboratories responsible for our data analysis will receive 7 million euros over the next 8 years.

"We will now be able to measure the impact of climate change on planktonic ecosystems at the very base of the food chain,” says Chris Bowler. “We plan to establish mathematical models concerning their evolution in function of environmental factors, to anticipate their potential degradation." By 2014, an oceanographic database called "Biobank" will be created. It  will        include all the organisms identified by the expedition, thus providing a useful source of study for researchers.

Interview in the magazine, La Recherche, July 2012