A floating research station resembling a giant aluminium igloo set out from France on Sunday to begin a long-term mission in the Arctic that will see it drift with the polar ice in the most hostile of environments.
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.
