Perseverance
PERSEVERANCE is an oceanographic sailboat conducting a major expedition to document and protect Antarctica's most fragile ecosystems. As it sails through Antarctica's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), PERSEVERANCE collects essential ecological and visual data, shedding light on one of the least observed but most threatened regions on the planet. The ship bears witness to the vulnerability of these waters and amplifies the global call for their protection.
Powered mainly by sail and equipped with a nitrogen oxyde emission reduction system, it embodies a new generation of more sober and responsible expeditions. With a dedicated room, scientific equipment, and autonomy adapted to extreme conditions, PERSEVERANCE carries researchers and instruments to better understand the Southern Ocean. It will also serve as a supply vessel for the Polar POD, continuing our commitment to nature-powered expeditions.
Eco-designed to reduce environmental impact, the Perseverance schooner respects the fragile ecosystems in which it operates.
The expedition
PERSEVERANCE explores and observes the most fragile ecosystems in the Southern Ocean. As it sails through Marine Protected Areas, it collects essential ecological and visual data to reveal the richness and vulnerability of these sanctuaries.Fall 2025: Clipperton
In 2025, PERSEVERANCE will set sail for Clipperton, an isolated atoll in the equatorial Pacific. This territory is home to the world's largest colony of masked boobies, a bioindicator species whose survival depends on a food web already weakened by industrial fishing. In partnership with the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO), the expedition will conduct a preliminary study with a view to ridding the atoll of rats, which pose a direct threat to ground-nesting birds. The ship will also document plastic pollution, which is particularly intense in this area located in the heart of the North Pacific gyre, which traps macro-waste and microplastics. Finally, a scientific study led by Mexican oceanographer Viviane Solis will analyze the presence of microcontaminants invisible to the naked eye but likely to accumulate in food chains.
Winter 2026: Ross Sea
In 2026, PERSEVERANCE will conduct a mission in the Ross Sea, at the heart of the world's largest Marine Protected Area. A true ecological sanctuary, this region is one of the richest and most intact marine ecosystems on the planet: it is home to huge colonies of Adélie and emperor penguins, seals, whales, and an abundance of Antarctic krill, a key resource that supports the entire food chain and whose overexploitation poses a growing threat. The expedition will contribute directly to the ten-year review of the MPA scheduled for 2027 by CCAMLR, a crucial scientific and political event to assess the effectiveness of this protection and adapt it to climatic and anthropogenic pressures. On this occasion, PERSEVERANCE will carry out oceanographic and atmospheric surveys, participate in the monitoring of marine fauna, and ensure the removal of a scientific buoy in collaboration with New Zealand researchers.
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The Polar POD expedition is one of the stamp of the pioners, a human adventure coupled with a technological challenge, an oceanographic exploration never before carried out which will mark a milestone in the discovery of the oceans.
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