The Polar region plays a critical role on in the earth climate. The Southern Ocean which surrounds the Antarctic continent, is the world’s largest oceanic carbon sinks of the planet.  Remoteness of the area and its inherent energetic environment (famous furious 50s), have lead to one of the largest ocean data gap at the global scale. Global climate models have an urgent need of this uptake of CO2.

To conduct, year-long on-site studies, we have design the PolarPOD, a revolutionary floating laboratory that can withstand the unique and punishing conditions of the Southern Ocean. Drifting along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the PolarPOD will circumvent – like the International Space Station – the continent of Antarctica.

The Polar POD project is an ambitious, collaborative effort lead by renowned scientists, oceanographers and climate experts on the Southern Ocean coming from all over the world.
 

Dr Jean-Louis Etienne
www.oceanpolaire.org/en/polar-pod/