TARA OCEANS POLAR CIRCLE 2013

Tara will embark in May 2013 to circumnavigate the Arctic Ocean via the Northeast and Northwest passages -- a scientific and academic adventure covering 25,000 kms and lasting 6 months.  This French expedition will be in collaboration with countries bordering the Arctic Ocean and in association with the Principality of Monaco.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE EXPEDITION
All the scientists and institutes involved in the Tara Oceans 2009-2012 expedition will participate, along with Canadian & Russian laboratories specializing in Arctic research.
During the Tara Oceans Expedition 2009-2012, only the Arctic Ocean was missing in our effort to collect plankton from all the world's oceans. There is therefore great interest in comparing  biodiversity in the Arctic with other oceanic regions, especially in the context of the major  transformations taking place. In fact, the summer of 2012 marked the most extensive Arctic ice melt ever observed.
The Tara Oceans Polar Circle 2013 research will be conducted around the borders of the ice pack where planktonic activity is the most important.
In addition to this global biological approach, oceanographic and chemical analyses specific to the Arctic will be undertaken. Our aim is to understand the vulnerability of polar biodiversity in the face of human activity; how melting of the ice pack impacts the polar marine ecosystem and what types of pollution come into play in these remote areas.
Several key factors assure the success of this expedition. The scientific team has been working together since 2009. Their collective expertise and overall ecosystem approach, the availability of existing equipment, and Tara Expeditions' experience in polar environment logistics are also invaluable assets.

CONTEXT
This mission will contribute to the international effort to study the Arctic ecosystem before a probable climate change. It will provide baseline data on the ecological status of Arctic waters, and help identify issues concerning the future development of this region.
We will also use our presence to inform the public, politicians and the business world about the most urgent environmental issues in the Arctic, as well as problems faced by the people who inhabit the Arctic Circle.  For some, the opening of maritime routes is an economic asset but for others, this development has an environmental risk. Sustainable development in the Arctic is definitely in question.