InVivo becomes a partner of the Polar Pod expedition

InVivo becomes a partner of the Polar Pod expedition

InVivo, the national union of French agricultural cooperatives, is pleased to formalise its partnership with the Polar Pod expedition. This project, initiated and led by the explorer Jean-Louis Etienne, will last until 2026; its objective is to conduct a research programme in the Southern Ocean on environmental issues. The InVivo group wanted to be associated with this innovative project, which reflects its commitment to the environment.

Polar Pod - InVivo: common objectives  

By enabling an unprecedented census of biodiversity and an in-depth study of the CO2 absorption capacity of the Southern Ocean, the Polar Pod expedition addresses two key climate change issues that are also relevant to agricultural operations. The preservation of biodiversity and the optimisation of carbon storage in the soil are two environmental issues for which agriculture is a solution.

"The InVivo group is proud to be a partner of the Polar Pod expedition. This is a particularly innovative project, both for its vertical ship and for the purpose of its expedition: the study of the Southern Ocean and its impact on the climate. At InVivo we share this taste for innovation and we support the commitment to the common good that this expedition initiated by Jean-Louis Etienne represents. We wish him every success in this great project," said Thierry Blandinières, CEO of InVivo.

An expedition at the forefront of environmental issues 

The Southern Ocean is a major player in the climate system. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which plays a key role in the global ocean circulation, makes it an essential part of the Earth's climate balance.

It has many particularities, such as the development of a specific biodiversity due to its isolation, but also its cold polar waters and its dynamics which allow atmospheric CO2 to be dissolved more easily.

Furthermore, the Polar Pod is a real innovation in the world of navigation: it is a vessel without motorisation driven by the current and without effluent emissions; zero emission and silent, it is also perfectly suited to listening to the ocean.

This exploration will enable the acquisition of long-term data and observations which will then be transmitted to researchers, oceanographers, climatologists and biologists. 

 

The expedition schedule: 

Specially designed to drift around Antarctica, the Polar Pod will make two 'Round the World' voyages, which should last 3 years, between 2024 and 2026. Between now and then, a few steps remain to be taken:

• 2021: call for tenders and sharing of the scientific adventure
• 2022: start of construction, finalisation of the scientific project schedule, start of the educational project
• 2023: test campaign, transport to the departure point of the drift, departure of the drift
• 2024-2026: Antarctic circumnavigation
   

About the Polar Pod: 

The Polar Pod is a real innovation in the world of navigation. This drifting oceanographic platform is designed to withstand the most extreme sea conditions, while being only slightly affected by waves.

The vertical stability of the Polar Pod allows very precise measurements of the impact of climatic events, studied for the first time on this scale.

In addition, it is a silent zero emission vessel, with no engine driven by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and no effluent emissions.

This exploration will enable the acquisition of long-term data and observations which will then be transmitted to researchers, oceanographers, climatologists and biologists.