The TARA OCEANS expedition sailed the oceans of the world for two and a half years (2009-2013) on an unprecedented mission: a global study of marine plankton. The ocean produces 50% of the oxygen we breathe and absorbs 25% of the CO2 we produce. Relatively little is actually known about the biodiversity of plankton, though its essential to the health of our planet and to the climate system.
This expedition aims at obtaining for the first time a worldwide comprehensive picture of the global planktonic ecosystem.
The Tara Expeditions Foundation pursues the following objectives:
- proposing to scientists an outstanding observation and experimentation platform. The TARA OCEANS expedition was equipped with the most advanced technologies in terms of observations and analyses; to the measurement and sampling equipment an imaging platform was added to allow observing these invisible to the naked eye beings that populate the oceans;
- raising awareness about the environmental issues among the general public and particularly children and providing them new scientific knowledge. To achieve this goal, educational activities resources and animations within schools were realized during the expedition.
Since the end of the expedition, the scientific and educational work of TARA OCEANS expedition is going on:
- the scientific consortium published its first main results in the Science Journal (Science magazine, may 2015, USA) with a special section including 5 scientific papers about the microscopic marine ecosystem. These publications will transform how we study the oceans and assess climate change. The Foundation also promoted a science to society approach on marine biodiversity with an extended impact on public, through the 120 scientific publications so far, but also through 3 000 press articles in the world, 5 TV documentaries produced, 30 exhibits, 3 books published about the expedition, many TV spots and several educational actions;
To see in detail the publications: http://oceans.taraexpeditions.org/en/m/science/results/
- on July 2016, the Foundation received a public grant from the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) (2MUSD) to fund a scientific cooperation program (2016-2020) in line with the TARA OCEANS expedition. The main goals are:
o strengthen the research activities of TARA OCEANS consortium: understand the planktonic ecosystem and develop the approach of marine plankton system to better understand the ocean;
o develop an international program for structuring research in developing countries: train a new generation of biologists in the field of plankton and new technologies;
o make available the scientific results to ocean governance and multilateral institutions: create new scientific tools and indicators understandable and usable in the High sea governance process.
Progress reports
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
Type of commitment
- Scientific, socioeconomic and interdisciplinary research
- Research capacity development
- Data access and sharing
- Scientific cooperation
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want
Type of commitment
- Activities to develop the capacity of States towards broader participation in and effective implementation of UNCLOS and its implementing Agreements
- Strengthening ocean governance, for example through the development of a national ocean policy or regional ocean policy
2020
