San Francisco Frontiers - Floating igloo leaves France for polar exploration mission

The Tara Polar Station's specific shape enables it to withstand ice pressure and drift for months on end in a controlled fashion with the pack ice to explore biodiversity and the impact of climate change.

While the vessel was built in France, some 30 research centres from 12 countries -- including Germany, Canada, Spain, the US, Switzerland, and Japan -- are participating in the expedition.

"The Arctic is an ocean that has been little studied and is already changing significantly. It is undergoing a major transformation," said Romain Trouble, executive director of the Tara Ocean Foundation.

"You cannot understand the environment if you only spend two months a year there," he added.

The vessel sailed from France's western port of Lorient with French Minister for the Sea Catherine Chabaud in attendance and hundreds of people cheering on the quayside.

The floating laboratory -- shaped like an igloo perched on a large buoy -- is designed to withstand sea-ice pressure and endure temperatures as low as -52C.

Starting in mid-August, the station will travel eastward along the Russian coast, with an icebreaker clearing the way. Trapped in the pack ice by early September, the station is expected to drift at an average speed of 10 kilometres per day, eventually reaching the Fram Strait -- located between Greenland and Svalbard -- by the end of 2027.

Ten such expeditions are planned between 2026 and 2045, taking place every two years.

The vessel will carry 12 people during the winter, including six scientists, and 18 in the summer.

- 'Lose entire chapter of evolution' -

The international crew was carefully selected following medical and psychological aptitude tests and team-building.

"We weren't looking for adventurers who want to head to the North Pole alone. The idea is rather to have people who get along well to experience this confined human environment together," said Clementine Moulin, the expedition director.

Those staying through the winter will have to contend with five months of not just total darkness, claustrophobia and extreme cold, but also the presence of polar bears.

"Bears are a serious matter," said Eric Pelletier, a 58-year-old genomics researcher and crew member. "It's not a simple thing -- the bear is on its home turf and it's used to hunting and hides behind blocks of ice."

Every crew member has received firearms training to deal with potential attacks while a specially trained dog will accompany the crew to help spot approaching animals.

Using an opening in the hull and a wide array of onboard instruments, scientists will collect over 10,000 samples from the water, the atmosphere, and sea ice.

"There is biodiversity at the North Pole that is uniquely adapted to this environment. If the environment changes, that biodiversity might disappear," said Trouble.

"We could potentially lose an entire chapter of the evolution of life on this planet without even having had time to document it," he warned.

Q.Nelson--SFF