This Saturday, December 12, the schooner Tara will leave the port of Lorient for a grand two-year journey in the South Atlantic. During this scientific expedition, the lab-boat will travel 70,000 kilometers to study the microbiomes constituting the ocean’s most fundamental fabric.The first link in a vast food network that feeds a large part of humanity, microorganisms represent more than two-thirds of the marine biomass, thus holding an essential place in this environment. These marine organisms are true factories capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide on a planetary scale, in turn producing the oxygen we breathe every day. And yet, the functioning of this invisible world is still largely unknown.
Dsensitive microorganisms to climate change?Along the South American and African coasts, down to Antarctica with a stopover in Chile, this mission will involve 42 research structures and nearly 200 scientists worldwide to try to understand these microorganisms and their interactions with the environment. “ Unlike previous Tara missions which conducted uniform sampling everywhere the boat passed to reveal “Who is there?”, this time we will adapt the protocols during the mission to understand “How does it work?” emphasizes Colomban de Vargas, CNRS/Sorbonne researcher and scientific co-director of the mission.
On the agenda for these two years of research: scientists will collect the marine microbiome for significant DNA sequencing and imaging. At the same time, environmental parameters will be measured: temperature, oxygen levels, presence of nutrients, plastic pollution… “We want to understand how this microbiome functions as a whole, and if its efficiency is sensitive to plastic pollution or ongoing ocean warming.” summarizes Romain Troublé, general director of the Tara Ocean Foundation.
This new mission will allow for a finer understanding of the major mechanisms linking microbiome and climate, estimates Daniele Iudicone, researcher at the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station (Naples, Italy) and scientific co-director of the mission. “The answers provided by this mission should thus prove particularly useful for improving climate forecasting models, notably by integrating biological parameters.”Transmission and awarenessBut beyond scientific research, the schooner Tara will also be – as in each of its missions – a place of transmission and awareness. During its 21 stopovers, the general public and schoolchildren will be able to come on board to discover the work of the researchers. The teams of scientists will also train local researchers on the know-how and techniques of ocean study.
In mainland France and in Francophone networks, two educational operations will be offered to schoolchildren: in the wake of Tara so that classes can exchange live via videoconference with crew members and Echos d’Escale, to address the challenges of sustainable development worldwide.
Given the current health conditions, the public will not be allowed to gather and see the schooner’s departure from Lorient, but a live digital setup will be provided on Facebook et Instagram. You can follow the schooner’s progress and all the stages of the mission on the Foundation’s digital platform.Opening image © Sacha Bollet – Tara Ocean Foundation