Click on the image to see Tara Oceans in full sail
The image above shows the route that Tara Oceans is taking around the world to survey different ecosystems from 2009 to 2012. The research surveys are planned to continue beyond 2012 and a new route will be posted later on. Please click here for a full view of the map.
Tara Oceans and Poseidon Sciences announce their collaboration on a biofouling research project focusing on the prevention of invasive organisms from attaching themselves to submerged surfaces of a ship’s hull
About TARA
Tara Oceans is a specially designed 118 ft. schooner, sponsored by the French Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and many other marine research institutions. Its principal partnerships include the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its main purpose is to conduct surveys of marine ecosystems as it travels on its 3-year voyage around the world. Tara Oceans has a 5-man crew and room for 7 scientists who work with sophisticated imaging and biological research equipment. Their task is to examine marine plankton and other microbial life in the oceans and near coral reefs as it travels along its 100,000 mile route.
To learn more about Tara Oceans, please click here.
Poseidon Sciences
Poseidon Sciences Group is a research organization engaged in evaluating and testing coatings for the marine industry through its various tropical marine and subsea stations worldwide. With a complement of over 35 biologists, marine botanists, chemists and engineering personnel, Poseidon’s team covers a wide spectrum of research from biomedicine, marine coatings, natural products, public health and conservation.
To know more about Poseidon, please click here.
TARA – Poseidon Collaboration
This unique collaboration addresses one of the important issues confronting the maritime industry today–preventing invasive species from attaching themselves to the submerged portion of a ship’s hull.
As Tara Oceans crosses various ecosystems, unpainted
patches on its hull accumulate fouling organisms, which will
be periodically examined by the ship’s crew. The data, including its images will be transmitted electronically from the ship to one of Poseidon’s marine stations for evaluation. This research will yield valuable information on the types of fouling that attached themselves to the hull at any time as the ship passes through different environments. For information on the sailing route of Tara Oceans, please click here.
To encourage marine coating companies to participate in this research program the Tara – Poseidon research team has designed a research protocol based on the availability of a series of 1 m2 patch areas on which each participating company would have its own environmentally friendly commercial coating applied. The antifouling performance of each test patch will be observed and photographed periodically by TARA Oceans crew during the course of the voyage. The results of this research, details of which will be proprietary to each participating company, will be invaluable in identifying the effectiveness of their coatings in preventing invasive species attachment.
For more information about Tara Oceans Expedition, please contact:
Sy Rotter
Executive Director
Tara Foundation for Marine Research
Tucson, AZ 85718
Tel: 520-299-9152 Cell: 202-320-1572
Fax: 202-536-2445 Email: syrotter@taramarineexpeditions.org
For information regarding participation in the patch test, please contact:
Jonathan R. Matias
Executive Director
Poseidon Sciences Group
122 East 42nd Street, Suite 1700, New York, NY USA 10168 USA
Tel. +1 646 341 7714
Email: jrmatias@poseidonsciences.com or PoseidonNova@aol.com