The Polar POD expedition: a multi-year research voyage around the Southern Ocean

A long-term research program is built around the Polar POD vessel, a new, crew-operated, state-of-the-art and zero-emission oceanographic and atmospheric platform. The platform is designed to enable on-site studies all year-round in the Southern Ocean. It is a 100-m tall drifting structure inspired by the US-Navy FLIP R/V with adaptation to Southern Ocean conditions. The design is adjusted to make the POD largely insensitive to waves and able to withstand the harsh conditions of the Southern Ocean down to 55°S. Its vertical stability will minimise air and water turbulence and perturbations of the water-air interface. A scientific deck is situated 25m above the average sea level and will be equipped with the best atmospheric and oceanographic instruments and facilities, power will be continuously provided with wind generators and batteries. These outstanding capacities allow scientists to perform myriad science measurements with excellent conditions in the last very poorly known area of the Earth surface.

It is anticipated that the Polar POD will circumnavigate the Southern Ocean for an expected 2-year voyage.

The concept of this innovative outstanding scientific platform and the overall expedition were proposed by Dr Jean-Louis Etienne, a French explorer who has devoted his life to exploration of some of the Earth most harsh environments (Arctic and Antarctic in particular). He has brought together a large group of private sponsors to support the expedition, in addition to what the French Government brought to build the platform and to support the science team that has been formed around the expedition. This includes the Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer (IFREMER), the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and its National Institute for Sciences of the Universe (INSU), the French National Agency for Research (ANR) and the French Space Agency (CNES).

A comprehensive science program has been designed by a group of about 50 investigators, taking advantage of the Polar POD capability. It includes 4 main research themes. 1- Energy and gas exchange at the air-sea interface and dynamics of the Southern Ocean (air-sea exchange of energy and gases, with emphasis on CO2 and the Southern Ocean role on climate,  impact of ocean acidification, wave dynamics and weather, eddies and turbulence), 2 – Calibration/validation of satellite observations (ocean colour, waves, wind speed, temperature), 3 – Biodiversity and structure of marine ecosystems (acoustic inventory of marine fauna (marine mammals, krill etc.), ocean floor noise, and aerial observation of marine life like whales and seabirds, 4 – Anthropogenic impacts (aerosol amounts and sources, anthropogenic pollution in all its aspects, including heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, micro-plastics, acoustic for ocean sound with human origin).