Scientists Will Freeze Into the Arctic Ice for Research

The Tara Polar Station left the port of Longyearbyen on July 4th. It was heading for a rendezvous with Polarstern, the AWI's research icebreaker. The two ships sailed together, with the Polarstern leading the way through the pack ice. This voyage was a crucial test of the ship's ability to navigate through thick, dense ice. (Photo: Maéva Bardy/Fondation Tara Ocean)

Published at: Oct 29 2025 - 13:57 / Updated at: Oct 29 2025 - 13:57

Next year, a crew of up to 18 will drift across the Arctic Ocean in the new Tara Polar Station research vessel while collecting data and knowledge about the sea ice and the Arctic Ocean.

From Birgitte Annie Hansen

The research vessel Tara Polar Station was completed in April this year. It cost about USD 38 million and is largely funded by the French state and operated by the Tara Ocean Foundation.

The vessel, shaped like a domed island, functions as a drifting scientific polar base and can host up to 12 people in the winter and 18 in the summer. Constructed to withstand temperatures between -20° and -52°C, the vessel will serve as a polar observatory and scientific laboratory.

It is constructed to spend 90% time frozen in ice, letting the Arctic sea ice control its route and pace. Once locked in the ice, the scientists will be able to collect data continuously throughout the year and over a long period of time.

Over the course of the next twenty years, the vessel will drift with the Arctic ice ten times for various research projects, all of which have secured funding for their projects themselves.

This will ensure long-term monitoring of the Arctic Ocean, an ocean that is impacted by climate change 2-3 times the global average. Some say the ocean will be unrecognizable by 2100, while others suggest that the first ice-free day could occur before 2030.

First expedition

Next year, the vessel will embark on its first proper voyage in the Arctic Ocean, the Tara Polaris I expedition. The expedition will take place over the course of 18 months, 14 of which are expected to involve drifting in the Arctic.

For this expedition, 18 international researchers and crew members from various institutions will be aboard the vessel, illustrating the importance of international collaboration in the efforts to learn more about the Arctic Ocean.

Each foundation will have a dedicated consortium, and for the Tara Polaris research programme, this comprises interdisciplinary researchers from more than 30 institutions in 12 different countries.

The international cooperation "facilitates the sharing of data, the harmonisation of methodologies and the development of joint research projects, strengthening our collective capacity to understand and respond to the environmental challenges of the Arctic," the foundation writes on its website.

A floating research station

Length: 26 meters.
Width: 16 meters.
12 crew members in the winter (4 sailors, an onboard reporter, a doctor, and 6 scientists, of whom 3 are engineers)
18 crew members in the summer (artists, a polar guide, and additional scientists on top of the 12 existing crew members)
Autonomy: 500 days.
Can store 10 tons of food to provide for the team's needs for 18 months. The crew will also have a few off-ground cultures (tomatoes, salads, and herbs).
A desalination unit will produce 300 liters of drinking water per hour to meet the crew's estimated needs at 1,000 liters per day.
Powered by 'carbon-free' energies through the deployment of wind turbines, solar panels that double battery life and 3rd generation bio-based fuels.

Objectives

"This expedition will be crucial to better understand the impact of climate change on the Arctic and the change it could have on the rest of the planet," says Chris Bowler, Vice-Director for Tara Polaris I.

He highlights four major objectives for the expedition:

· Improve knowledge of biodiversity on Earth by exploring regions that are not accessible today

· Reveal the unique adaptations that have evolved to allow life in this extreme environment

· Analyze the consequences of sea ice melting and pollution on these unique and fragile ecosystems

· Discover new molecules, species and biological processes with potential new applications

"Over the long term, these explorations will refine the predictions of climate models in Europe by 2050, and the consequences of climate change on the functioning of our planet. The results will help improve governance policies for the Arctic and the global Ocean," says Bowler.

Tested in Svalbard

Since its completion in April, the vessel has undergone testing in various environments to prepare for its first expedition in 2026.

This summer, the vessel departed from its home port of Lorient and set course for the High North to have its first drift test in the extreme conditions for which it was constructed.

The vessel stopped in Tromsø and Longyearbyen, Svalbard, before setting off to meet Polarstern, a German research vessel. The two ships sailed together, with the Polarstern leading the way through the pack ice.

The vessel continued its tests south of Shannon Island, east of Greenland, before visiting Iceland and attending the Arctic Circle conference.

The second test campaign will take place at the end of the year in Finland to test the ship in winter conditions.