Science

Helping scientists to better understand and protect the Ocean

Skippers contribute to the collection of scientific data, notably by helping programs such as E-SURFMAR by deploying buoys operated by Météo France at different latitudes during races. These buoys measure sea surface temperature and atmospheric pressure, as well as surface currents. The data are transmitted to the Global Telecommunication System (GTS), the international network of the World Meteorological Organization. These data are free and serve science.

How Argo floats work

Argo floats are deployed as the skippers travel in specially defined areas to collect important data in previously unstudied locations. Once released, these floats sink to a depth of about 1,000 meters in order to collect, for 8 to 10 days, scientific information on salinity, CO2 levels, acidification... Then, after a few days underwater, they return to the surface and transmit these data by satellite, as a cell phone would do, before sending them back to a scientific base that will process these data and make them available to everyone.

Onboard laboratories: focus on Fabrice Amedeo's IMOCA

Newrest-Art & Window is one of the IMOCA boats equipped with oceanographic sensors. On board Fabrice Amedeo's boat, the first one measures CO2, salinity and temperature of surface waters. The second one collects microplastics that will be stored on board and then given to scientists from IFREMER and the University of Bordeaux, who will share the analysis, interpretation and modeling of the results. All the data are made available to the international scientific community.

These sensors, installed thanks to the support of Art & Fenêtre, Onet and Eléphant Bleu, represent additional on-board equipment to collect and measure microplastics, including filters that Fabrice Amedeo changes every 12 hours. Another effect of this equipment is an increase in energy consumption of about 20%. To cope with this, the skipper has installed a wind turbine on board, in addition to the solar panels and the hydro-generators.

Fabrice also has a third ADNe sensor, a world first, which is helping to measure the impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity and to evaluate the migration or appearance of new species. As one of the main carbon stocks on Earth, the oceans play an essential role in regulating the climate, having already absorbed more than a third of the CO2 emissions emitted by humans. However, all this is not without consequences for the biodiversity and marine organisms that inhabit these oceans.

From now on, during the races in which he is involved, the skipper will also be able to collect eDNA: "Environmental DNA is all the DNA that is permanently released by organisms in their natural environment through excretions (mucus, larvae) and secretions (feces or urine). We are now able to filter 1L of seawater and to obtain quickly and at a reasonable cost a precise biological map of all organisms present in this environment, from viruses to whales."

© © Jean-Marie LIOT