In 2020,
the adventure goes further than ever !
March 26, 2020
15
With the DeepHope and Capsule program, 2019 was a year filled with scientific achievements for the Under The Pole teams. With a flashback to last year’s key breakthroughs, it’s full steam ahead for 2020 before departing on the next mission. Antarctica here we come!<br />
<br />
DeepHope has seen two years of preparation and 12 months of diving on the five archipelagos of French Polynesia, allowing us to learn a great deal about the conditions for life and state of the reefs. The team has collected 6027 samples of deep coral and even discovered the deepest coral reef in the world at 564 feet below the surface. Today, the DeepHope program has moved to the laboratory, where forensic analysis and DNA testing will be conducted for nearly three years. The scientists are expecting to uncover numerous surprises and important discoveries.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the Capsule was a childhood dream come true, allowing dives to be extended almost indefinitely and to live for several days under the sea without coming to the surface. It was a wild idea that finally came to life after three years of engineering, construction and tests. For the first time ever, divers, sailors, biologists, physiologists, doctors and photographers (among others!) were able to stay in a Capsule at a depth of 65 ft to observe the underwater flora and fauna for up to 3 days. A unique and unprecedented experience to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets on the reef, as well as nights spent in the depths of the abyss. Beyond this extraordinary experience, the Capsule also allows the scientific community countless hours of observation and fantastic discoveries to come.<br />
<br />
2019 was also marked by Under The Pole’s educational program that was able to be more widely developed. Thanks to classroom activities, a life-size scale model of the Capsule in Concarneau, unique content and a newsletter written by teachers, 1000 Polynesian children and 600 children from Brittany have been made aware of the beauty of corals and the efforts needed to preserve them.<br />
<br />
But the adventure doesn’t end there, the expedition will start all over again in 2020. At the end of August, WHY will set sail from Chile to prepare a new mission in Antarctica. Two key objectives await the teams. The first is studying the connection between surface and deep-sea species (which are often less well known), while the second is observing the causal link between global warming and icebergs which scrape and damage the seabed. <br />
<br />
Join us over the next few months to find out more.
