After traveling the Mediterranean it two years ago, the scientific schooner Tara resume on May 28 off for an expedition in Asia Pacific. The purpose: to study coral reefs and their evolution in response to climate change. If they only represent 0.2% of the surface of the oceans, they account for nearly 30% of known marine biodiversity. “ Their health is crucial to the diversity of species, but also for humanity ” explain the organizers. Yet these coral reefs are currently threatened. The reason: ocean acidification which affects the growth of the reef and warming waters causing coral bleaching phenomenon
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to this are added local factors such as overfishing, pollution, sedimentation due to erosion or massive urbanization of the coast . A study by the World Resource Institute conducted in 2011, 20% of coral reefs are destroyed today while 35% could disappear within ten to forty years. El Nino climate phenomenon, which causes a warming of Pacific waters and the Indian Ocean, aggravates their destruction. When El Nino episode in 1998, 18% of the corals and had gone in six months.
40,000 samples in two years
The 70 scientists who will participate in the expedition divide their work into three axes. “ This will be studying the biodiversity of these reefs, their health and their adaptation to climate change ” explains Denis Allemand, co-director of Tara Pacific. A total of 40 islands will be analyzed and ten sites will be targeted studies. The researchers plan to collect more than 40 000 samples in two years. Stops are also planned in many Asian countries to share with local communities these environmental issues. Tara will also host eight artists for “ share and discover the work of scientists on board. ”
From the Panama Canal to the archipelago of Japan, New Zealand up ‘China, the boat will travel over 100 000 km. In this light, it was completely renovated for three months. “ You could not imagine it was ten years ago that we would do that with a sailboat. We knew the turn to carry very long research , “says Romain Troubled, general manager of the Tara Expeditions Foundation.
While the scientific schooner is still moored in the port of Lorient, the team is already planning his next expedition from 2019. Arctic Destination, twelve years after “ its first Arctic drift historical . ”
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