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2009 - 2013

Tara Oceans – The ocean under the microscope

A revolutionary expedition
For four years, Tara sailed all the world's oceans on an unprecedented mission: the worldwide study of marine plankton. The ocean produces a percentage of the oxygen that we breathe and absorbs nearly 25% of the CO2 that we emit. This little-known, invisible form of biodiversity is a crucial marker of the state of health of our planet and its climate system.

Teaser

Tara Oceans

The highlights

Exploring the invisible world of the ocean

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The ocean, the essential actor in the overall climate balance

What you can see here is an efflorescence of plant plankton (phytoplankton) in the South Atlantic Ocean (southern summer), also known as “phytoplanktonic bloom”.

Efflorescence de plancton végétal appelé "bloom phytoplanctonique".

©ESA

The highlights

Exploring the invisible world of the ocean

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At the heart of the invisible?

And what if the keys to understanding were at the core of the invisible?

Biodiversité invisible de l'Océan.

©Christian sardet

The highlights

Exploring the invisible world of the ocean

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Tara Oceans: 160 scientists and 21 specialties

Researchers took turns over four years. Their missions: to identify, analyse and count the billions of microorganisms that make up our oceans between 0 and 800 metres.

Les scientifiques à bord de la goélette tara.

© David Sauveur

The highlights

Exploring the invisible world of the ocean

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Exploring the ocean

The first analyses of samples collected during the Tara Oceans expedition revealed, above all, the extent of our ignorance of the planktonic world.

Échantillonnage lors de l’expédition Tara Oceans

© David Sauveur

The highlights

Exploring the invisible world of the ocean

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BLOOM

In the Gulf of Aden, at twilight: photoluminescent plankton illuminates the sea foam in the schooner’s bow.

La goélette tara illuminée par le plancton photoluminescent dans le golf d'Aden.

© Julien Girardot

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Exploring the invisible world of the ocean

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More than 40,000 samples were collected and analysed

In May 2015, the researchers published the first results of their findings in the prestigious scientific journal “Science”

Publication des résultats scientifiques dans la revue "Science".

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Exploring the invisible world of the ocean

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A treasure to be shared

All the data collected and the DNA sequences determined during this project are freely available on public databases.

La goélette tara naviguant dans des eaux à la biodiversité invisible.

©EMBL-EBI

Tara Oceans lifts the veil on a mysterious world, PLANKTON

Planktonic biodiversity

The major discoveries

As long as there is plankton

Viruses, masters of the oceans

Plankton under high surveillance, the importance of temperature

The social network of plankton revealed

Rhizaria, giants that have gone unnoticed until now

Tara in the storm

By immersion

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In search of plankton, from the equator to the poles

Knowing and understanding the ocean better