Page 25: of Marine Technology Magazine (Jul/Aug 2026)

FEATURE TARA POLAR STATION

SNOW SNOW

PROBLEM PROBLEM

TOO BIG:TOO BIG:

A ? oating polar laboratory tackles Arctic research © Maé va Bardy - Fondation Tara Ocean

By Celia Konowe n July 19, the Tara Polar Station, a drifting labora-

The Tara Polar Station tory, departed from its homeport in Lorient, France

Designed by Olivier Petit and the Tara Ocean Foundation, to commence an 18-month Arctic expedition. As the station measures 26 meters in length and can withstand a year-round mission, the Tara Polaris I expedi- temperatures between -20° and -52°C. It can host a crew of

O tion was designed to explore the interconnectivity 12 in winter and up to 18 in summer and has an autonomy of and seasonality of ? ve components of the Arctic Ocean: atmo- 500 days with up to 12 tons of food onboard. In addition to liv- sphere, snow, ice, biodiversity and the ocean itself. Tara Polaris ing spaces for the scientists, journalists and crew, the facility

I is just the ? rst of multiple missions ongoing until 2046.

has ? ve laboratories, of? ces, cold rooms and sample storage.

The Tara Ocean Foundation was launched in 2003 by Agnès Drinking water will be produced via a desalination system.

Troublé and son Étienne Bourgois to support marine research,

There is a six-foot-wide moon pool at the center of the drift- educate on its importance, and pledge for ocean protection. The ing station, allowing for water samples down to depths of

Polar Station, built 18 years after the organization’s ? rst North 2,500 meters. Atmospheric and underwater sensors line the

Pole trip aboard the schooner Tara, was designed to ? ll a scien- outside of the vessel, and a CTD-rosette measures the physi- ti? c gap in the Arctic Ocean, which lacks a long-term research cal, chemical and biological properties of the water column.

station (compared to the ? ve permanent sites in Antarctica) and “For the sake of reliability, we have decided to avoid fancy remains vulnerable to climate change. Known as Arctic ampli- and immature technologies but instead focus on ef? ciency and ? cation, the ocean is warming three to four times faster than co-generation,” said Troublé. “The ef? ciency of the power the rest of the planet. Arctic atlanti? cation, the increased ? ow generator has been brought to 82% as the heat generated is of warmer and saltier Atlantic waters, is also of concern and captured to warm the vessel. The lab space for science repre- disrupts the natural strati? cation of the Central Arctic Ocean. sents 55% of the total area of the vessel, with direct access to

Changes in sea ice, snow and water have consequences for the the ocean through the moon pool. The station will also have ecosystems and organisms that de? ne the region.

a broadband connection through the OneWeb constellation by “In the long term, the Tara Polaris (2026-2046) expeditions will

Eutelsat for crew communication with relatives, real-time data help inform weather model forecasts in Europe by 2050 and shed transfer and daily brie? ngs with the consortium on land.” light on the consequences of global changes (climate and pollu-

With such an ambitious mission, the Tara Polar Station faces tion) on the functioning of our planet,” explained Romain Troublé, its fair share of challenges. “The vessel will face enormous

CEO of the Tara Ocean Foundation. “The ? ndings, which will be constraints from both operational and regulatory points of openly accessible, will support better governance of the Central view,” said Troublé. “The ice pressure expected has put a heavy

Arctic Ocean, guiding regulations on industrial activities until we load on the structure and shape of the hull, and the 500 days have a clear picture of the health of our planet’s only polar ocean.” autonomy is demanding of storage and systems redundancy.”

The ? oating base was built in 2023-2025 by Constructions “The Polar Code has also brought a heavy burden on the foot-

Mecaniques in Cherbourg, France. Since delivery, the Tara print of the station and its ef? ciency. The exhaust of particles

Polar Station has undergone a full year of testing, followed by pushed us to use second-generation biofuel in the form of hy- three months of drydock ? ne tuning.

drotreated vegetable oil from Neste. Additionally, the eight tons www.marinetechnologynews.com 25

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