Tara Polar Station departed Lorient, France, for the Arctic on 19 July. Bringing together more than 30 research institutes from 12 countries, the expedition will support a broad range of international scientific programmes, including the Swiss-led ARKTIS project.
The vessel will first sail to Rotterdam, Netherlands, for refuelling, before continuing to Tromsø, Norway, where the first members of the overwintering team will come aboard and begin the handover. A final technical stop in Kirkenes, Norway, will allow the full crew to embark before setting out to meet the polar night. In mid-August, Tara Polar Station will rendezvous with Xue Long, the research icebreaker operated by the Polar Research Institute of China, which will clear a path through the sea ice. The aim is for Tara Polar Station to freeze into the ice near 82°N, 140°E in early September and start her drift.
A crew of twelve people—five sailors, six scientists and one ship’s correspondent—will spend a nine-month overwintering period aboard the Tara Polar Station. This period is also one of the expedition’s most demanding phases, as the next crew will not arrive until mid-April. Throughout the journey, Tara Polar Station and members of the ARKTIS research team will collect an interdisciplinary suite of samples and observations for the ARKTIS project. These measurements will improve our understanding of the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean and its ecosystems, the interactions between the ocean, sea ice and atmosphere, and the Arctic’s role in the global climate system.
copyright: Francois Dourlens/ Fondation Tara Ocean
More info:
A large science meeting of the Tara Polaris consortium took place this May in Lorient, France, putting together expedition participants, contributing and advising scientists to plan the details of the exciting endeavor of Tara Polar Station.
Find more information here: Tara Polar Station, drifting polar station in the Arctic
copyright: Clementine Moulin
In a hands-on training workshop at EPFL Valais in Sion, the ARKTIS atmosphere cluster (led by Prof. Julia Schmale) got scientists, engineers and expedition participants ready for measurements in the Arctic.
Further information on the atmosphere research cluster: Atmosphere | ARKTIS
copyright: Julia Schmale
As part of its 10th Anniversary celebrations in 2026, the Swiss Polar Institute is organising an event about Switzerland, the poles, high-altitude regions, and ambitions for 2035.
This even will also serve as the launch of the two new Flagship Initiatives, ARKTIS and DOMINO.
Practical information:
18 March 2026 | 12:30-15:30
Burgerratssaal, Casino, Casinoplatz 1, Bern
Event in French and German
More information can be found on the website of the Swiss Polar Institute: https://swisspolar.ch/event/suisse-poles-regions-de-haute-altitude-quelles-ambitions-horizon-2035/
