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The scientific schooner has been studying coral reefs for two years./ Photo AFP
Back to the fold for Tara. After two and a half years spent exploring coral reefs in the Pacific and measuring the impact of climate change on these rich but endangered ecosystems, the scientific schooner returned yesterday, to the port of Lorient. Dozens of scientists of several nationalities followed one another on board the 36-meter-long, 10-meter-wide ship on her journey of more than 100,000 kilometers, which took her to some 40 countries, from Panama to Japan. through Samoa, Hong Kong or Australia.
The goal of this unpublished mission, which took place on May 28, 2016: to travel the Pacific Ocean to study the diversity of coral reefs and better understand the impact of global warming.
"We have seen very sad reefs like those of Samoa, with very significant mortalities and beside that we have beautiful reefs," added Serge Planes, scientific director of the expedition. For example, the small, uninhabited and isolated atoll of Ducie Island has suffered from strong bleaching, while the Chesterfield archipelago near New Caledonia, which is also preserved from human activities, has corals in very good health. "Overall the balance is not catastrophic but we are in very fragile systems", which can quickly deteriorate.
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