October 23, 2025

A team of up to 18 scientists and sailors will be locked into sea ice next year as they begin their drift across the Arctic Ocean, collecting scientific data and gaining insight into the sea ice, ocean, and Arctic ecosystem.

The journey will take place aboard Tara Polar Station, a new research vessel created by Fondation Tara Océan.

This uniquely designed vessel, which was christened in Lorient, France, in April 2025, is now undergoing testing to ensure that the station, along with its equipment, instruments, and systems, is prepared to withstand extended periods of extremely harsh Arctic conditions.

The station doesn’t look much like a traditional research ship. Its oval-shaped aluminum hull and geodesic dome are engineered to withstand extreme cold and crushing ice. Its main deck provides ample walking space. Inside, it houses labs, living quarters, and a central moonpool that grants direct access to the ocean below. Powered by solar, wind, and biodiesel, it operates with near-zero environmental impact.

After the testing concludes, Tara Polar Station will begin its first 18-month expedition, called Tara Polaris I, in the fall of 2026, with 14 of those months anticipated to involve drifting in the Arctic. The project’s designers estimate it will spend 90 percent of its time locked in pack ice overall. Over the next 20 years, researchers plan on launching 10 consecutive missions with the station.

Scientific research ships have long drifted with Arctic ice to study it, but due to challenges, including cost, remoteness, and isolation, such missions are not frequent. One of the most notable historic expeditions that involved Arctic drifting was Fridtjof Nansen’s Fram, which took place from 1893 to 1896. Fondation Tara Ocean also had a schooner, Tara, which spent around 500 days drifting in the Arctic from 2006 to 2008. Most recently, the German research icebreaker, Polarstern, drifted with ice as part of the MOSAiC Expedition in 2019-2020.

Tara Polar Station’s first expedition will involve an international research team from multiple institutions studying topics such as sea ice, the ecosystem and ocean, atmospheric science, and biogeochemistry. Some of the mission’s scientific objectives include learning how species adapt to an extreme polar environment, understanding how climate change is impacting the region and beyond, studying biodiversity, and investigating the effect of melting sea ice and pollution on ecosystems, as well as hopefully identifying new species, processes, and even molecules. The collected data will be shared and made available for anyone to review and use.

According to Romain Troublé, Managing Director of the Tara Ocean Foundation, one of the key questions the team hopes to answer is how polar organisms survive and adapt to prolonged periods of darkness.

“We have a lot of experiments in the boat to better understand these kinds of processes and the adaptation of life in such an environment.”

Measuring 26 meters by 16 meters, Tara Polar Station’s small size means only six scientists can work onboard during the winter, with just a few more on the vessel each summer. The small number of personnel means each person will be responsible for running a wide range of experiments and observations.

Troublé stated that the vessel’s size is a limitation and that the team have to be organized and incredibly meticulous with their planning and packing, making sure to bring along plenty of spare parts and backups of everything imaginable.

“You make a mistake, you make it for eight months,” said Troublé.

He added that while having a larger number of researchers would enable more studies to take place, there simply isn’t room for more people.

The 11-meter-high dome-shaped vessel took five years to design and 18 months to build at Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie. The process took a total of 150,000 hours, with 200 people working on the project.

Tara Polar Station is designed around a central moon pool that allows researchers to collect ocean samples 2,500 meters below the surface. It is built to withstand temperatures as low as -52 degrees Celsius. It contains five laboratories, including both wet and dry facilities, as well as areas for in situ experiments, ice core sample handling, and sample storage.

An assortment of instrumentation and equipment aboard this vessel includes microscopes, cytometers, and instruments for cellular biology, DNA sequencing, and more. Two drones, including a marine Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), will aid research, and a variety of underwater and atmospheric sensors will collect data.

In addition to laboratories and instruments, the vessel features offices, a wheelhouse, cabins, a mess hall, a galley, a sick bay, laundry facilities, and other standard components. The desalination unit can produce 300 litres of water per hour. And, the vessel is powered by wind turbines, solar panels, and bio-based fuels.

The vessel accommodates up to 18 people at a time. In winter, just 12 crew members will be on board, including four sailors, six scientists, a reporter, and a doctor. In summer, the crew grows to 18, adding more scientists, a polar guide, and an artist. While winter crews will commit to eight-month stints, summer teams will spend 2.5 to three months at sea.

Life aboard a small vessel drifting through the Arctic comes with no shortage of challenges. Harsh weather conditions, close quarters, and long periods of isolation can take a toll. To withstand these conditions, the Tara Polar Station is designed to be self-sufficient for up to 500 days, carrying 10 to 12 tons of food, as well as supplies, including equipment to grow small amounts of fresh produce such as lettuce, herbs, and tomatoes.

“You cannot send food to the Arctic later on for the winter except by parachute or plane,” Troublé said, pointing to the vast expense and extreme logistical challenge of such an endeavour.

To keep the team in good spirits, the vessel is equipped with a sauna. Morale boosters like the sauna and freshly grown greens can help the Tara Polar Station inhabitants feel more at home as they drift across the Arctic on a mission to learn more about the region and its changing environment.

Banner Image Credi: Maeva Bardy/Fondation Tara Ocean