Tara Oceans

Edito

Tara has left Djibouti.
Position : 11°32,7N 042°32,1E.

journal de bord

04/02/2010

Abdou, son of Obock
 
Since leaving the port of Djibouti, Tara has anchored many times, searching for the most beautiful coral sites in the bay of Tadjoura. Fifteen dives have already been made and over 200 samples have been collected.
 
For the necessary logistics of our earthbound and underwater cameramen, a small dhow has followed Tara for the last couple of days. Its pilot is Abdou, 64 years old, and he has joined our crew to the delight of all. Originally from the village of Obock, located to the north of the bay, Abdou is a venerable fisherman who knows the Djibouti waters like his own pocket. As Tara enters the narrow Obock strait between coral reefs, it is he who advises me to manouver like a harbour pilot. What an opportunity for him! It’s been 6 months since he was home. With his “star” which he calls his boat, going under the cozy name of “kokobeach”, he takes us to meet his family. His house is located, moreover, a few steps from an ancient abode where Henri de Monfreid, adventurer and author wrote some of his passionate stories.
 
Everything was not always easy for Abdou, during the nineties, hunted by the rebels who plundered the villages, he escapes with 22 comrades in a small fishing dhow. An inevitable shipwreak follows, 15 comrades disappear in the sea and 7 are saved. Abdou swims 8 hours to save his life, and reaches the coast, exhausted. Chased down by the rebels, he will then spend 10 months of his life in prison.
Stories like his are like thousands on the African continent but Abdou remains discrete about his past and his calm gaze on the horizon belies the immensity of what he has experienced in life. Onboard, Abdou wears proudly his Tara T-shirt like the rest of the crew and prefers to sleep on deck to keep an eye on his dhow moored at the rear. He always amazes us with his mix of tea and coffee in the same cup as way of breakfast. At our arrival in Obock, Abdou brings a goat on Tara’s deck, he wants us to keep it onboard for the expedition in case we run out of provisions. I explain to him politely that one can not keep live animals onboard, and knowing the value of herds in these desert regions, I understand that he wants to express his gratitude and that he is happy with us.
 
“Captain, I know a good spot, I will take you fishing”, and an instant after throwing in the line, we haul in a catch of 15 kilos to the delight of the crew!
Tara will leave Obock tomorrow and will take part, at the most westerly part of the bay, with the discovery of Ghoubbet el Kharab and the bay of Lake Assal. On our route, Abdou will help us find the much expected whale sharks at another “good spot” which he knows; but I won’t tell you more for the moment…
 
Olivier Marien
Skipper of Tara until February 12th

Tara's current position

Download the updated map directly :

Focus

Interview with Francesca, scientific coordinator of Tara Oceans & coral reef expert

What do you expect from the 15 days of diving?

We are a team of 6 scientists onboard, each one of us has his/her specific tasks and objectives. As scientific coordinator of this leg I expect data on reef health, diversity and composition to be collected throughout the coral reefs in Djibouti. Because this area is only partially known I expect the unexpected…and look forward to it!

What is your priority?

Our priorities are related to the individual scientific projects we have all come here for- they form the overall scientific program. Among our priorities there is that of contributing to the knowledge of the coral reefs of Djibouti and providing information on their condition. In this frame of mind we are trying to survey as many different reefs and areas as possible in the country.

Why it is important to sample in this area?

Coral reefs in Djibouti have been only partially surveyed, and their diversity in terms of coral species alone is still to be determined.
Moreover, coral and fish community composition and general condition haven’t been studied in detail in the last 11 years. Coral reefs are part of Djibouti natural heritage. As any in country when the population and the economy evolve, so do the problems related to the exploitation of coral reefs.

Why it is important to study coral reefs within an expedition like Tara
Oceans?

Coral reef ecosystems are known to harbor a remarkably high diversity of organisms and they represent an important economic resource. Nowadays coral reefs are threatened by a number of local and global threats, among those climate change. The reef degradation rate is alarming. Tara Oceans is giving scientists a chance to study coral reef diversity and conditions in different remote and/or poorly studied regions of the Indo-Pacific.

What kind of material are you using?

The sampling performed during the Djibouti leg for the study of coral reef organisms is of two main types: the first one is non-destructive, such as the visual transects that Ameer Abdullah is performing to census fish populations and the reef resilience protocol that David Obura is using. In this case the instrument is the specialist himself, his slate where notes and data are registered and digital photographic equipment. The second
kind of sampling requires instruments which are relatively low tech, like hammer, chisel and corers, to sample part of the coral colonies for further studies in the laboratory. Although the instruments and materials are relatively simple, it actually takes years of training and experience to be able to perform this kind of sampling and then interpret the data.

L'Equipe

  • Eric Karsenti
  • Etienne Bourgois

  • Fabrice Not
  • Et aussi
  • David Sauveur
  • Silvia Gonzalez-Acinas
  • Samuel Audrain
  • Olivier Marien
  • Julien Girardot
  • Mathieu Oriot
  • Stefanie Kandels-Lewis
  • Emmanuel Reynaud
  • Guillaume Bracq
  • 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

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Newsworthy

24/02/2010

Documentaire sur Canal + avec Etienne Bourgois et agnès b.

24/02/2010

Diffusion du documentaire : Eco-barons, les seigneurs de la Terre
Réalisé par Barbara Conforti
Produit par Capa TV avec la participation de Canal +
Diffusion le mercredi 24 février 2010 à 22h25.

La terre souffre et envoie de tous côtés des signaux d’alarme pour que les hommes cessent de la maltraiter. Sensibles à ces alertes, de nouveaux bienfaiteurs ont fait leur apparition. En sauvant aujourd'hui un morceau de la planète, ils mettent leur argent au service des générations futures...

Coup médiatique, effet de mode ou réel engagement écologique ?
Ce documentaire a l’ambition de raconter la prise de conscience, les motivations et les actions de ces philanthropes du XXème siècle. Portraits exclusifs de cinq d’entre eux… dont Etienne Bourgois et agnès b.

29/01/2010

Séisme en Haïti

29/01/2010

N'oubliez pas de faire un don :

Action contre la faim

En direct sur Internet

Médecins du monde

En direct sur Internet

27/01/2010

Oceans

27/01/2010

24/11/2009

Interview with Hervé Bourmaud, Tara’s skipper with a summary on the transect Dubrovnik-Athens

24/11/2009

Interview with Hervé Bourmaud, Tara’s skipper with a summary on the transect Dubrovnik-Athens

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

20/11/2009

Partnership with "agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger"

20/11/2009

La convention de partenariat entre l'AEFE (agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger) et le fonds Tara sera signée le vendredi 20 novembre à 17h30 au salon de l'éducation, porte de Versailles à Paris.

Le partenariat consiste à associer le réseau scolaire mondial à l’expédition Tara Oceans. Les établissements scolaires sont invités à participer à une opération intitulée “Lycées du grand large” qui met en place 3 types d’actions : promotion de la démarche développement durable, réflexions sur la gestion de l’eau potable et découverte de la science.

26/10/2009

Crew change

26/10/2009

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.

17/08/2009

On Tara, at sea, as if you were there.

17/08/2009

Here is a panoramic by photographer Stéphane Mahé of the 360ouest agency taken onboard Tara this week during its sea trials off Lorient. You will also find an interview with skipper Hervé Bourmaud. Welcome aboard!

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.