Formerly Sir Peter Blake’s “Seamaster”, now owned by Etienne Bourgois Director of agnès b. worldwide, Tara is on course to alert the public to the terrible upheavals in the oceans due to global warming.
After Dublin and before Paris, the French scientific research vessel Tara will arrive in London on 17th September for a ten days stay. Tara has just finished Tara Oceans, a three-year, 70, 000-mile mission across the Atlantic, Pacific, Antarctic and Indian oceans to investigate the impact of global warming on biodiversity and marine life.
Scientists on board Tara have been investigating the role played by plankton in the earth’s life-support system, the effects of climate change on this critical base to the marine food chain, the preservation of marine biodiversity and ways of combating pollution and overfishing.
Artists and journalists on board have been helping to promote public awareness of these important issues. Twenty-one laboratories in 10 countries are collaborating with the mission, and research findings are published immediately on free access databases. It will now take 10 years to analyse the complex data and samples collected by the expedition. This work will then produce the first complete overview of the world’s plankton ecosystem. Researchers from Tara Oceans shared their message of a sustainable future for all at the United Nations Rio+20 Conference earlier this year. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations highlighted the work of Tara Oceans at this occasion, “Earlier this year, I had the chance to board the Tara. The team was really inspiring. They shared so much information with me about oceans and climate change. I am really grateful that they are raising awareness around the world … and I am very proud that the United Nations is supporting them.”»
agnès b. is the main partner of Tara Expeditions. Very sensitive to the fate of the planet, she supports the ship’s projects and the latter’s expeditions since her beginnings: ” I have committed myself personally in this project which, in 2004, could seem a complete utopia, ” she says. “Finally, it is a remarkable story. Above all, it is a programme that gave progress to science and which will continue this mission with the Tara Oceans expedition. We succeeded to raise the consciousness of the younger generation to the environment thanks to Tara’s human and scientific adventures. “
PRESS CONFERENCE
In the presence of Etienne Bourgois, président of Tara Expeditions. Researchers and crew will be available for interview Tuesday 18th September Onboard Tara – ST Katharines Docks
A series of events are planned to raise awareness about the important work of the Tara Expeditions Foundation during Tara’s stay in London
For further information Tara expeitions www.taraexpeditions.org
