Ponant Explorations Group has announced the release of its second Ponant Science program report. Launched in 2021, the program welcomes scientific researchers onboard.

The company said in a press release that these expeditions provide access to remote ecosystems, allowing data collection and contributions to international research efforts.

Over the past five years, 230 researchers have come onboard, and 10 scientific publications have been published.

“With four additional ships hosting scientific missions, we have increased the number of research projects and broadened our geographical reach; 2024 marked a real turning point,” said Dr. Megan Clampitt, Ponant’s head of science.

“We establish long-term partnerships that allow teams to return to the same regions over several years and track environmental changes over time,” added Clampitt.

Centered initially on Le Commandant Charcot, which features two laboratories and a range of onboard equipment, the missions are now also conducted on the Paul Gauguin, Le Bellot, L’Austral and Le Soléal.

Mobile scientific equipment kits have been developed for these vessels to collect, store and analyze samples onboard, Ponant added.

At the same time, safety protocols and crew training have been strengthened. The expansion of the program will provide access to new, less accessible territories such as the Society Islands in Polynesia and the Kimberley region in Australia.

According to the company, Ponant Science supports a large number of multidisciplinary research projects in three main areas:

1. Ecology and climate change
2. Biodiversity and conservation, and
3. Anthropogenic impacts and micro-pollution.

Projects to date include:

• A scientific crossing of the Arctic Ocean from west to east to document changes in ice, air, water and pollution in the Arctic system
• The first large-scale study of seagrass beds in remote Polynesian sites aimed to investigate the tropical habitats of seagrass beds
• Monitoring CO₂ fluxes between the atmosphere and the ocean and studying carbon storage in deep waters
• A mission to better understand how microorganisms in the atmosphere influence the Arctic climate regulation, and
• Collecting biological samples of seabirds, invertebrates, plants and soils to better understand how life adapts in extreme polar conditions and responds to climate change.

The report is available for view here.