PONANT Science 2024 Report: a progress report to prepare for the future

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22 October 2025

PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP publishes the second report of its PONANT Science programme. Launched in 2021, this programme welcomes scientific researchers on board. It gives them access to remote ecosystems where they can collect data and contribute to international research efforts. Over the past five years, 230 researchers have come on board and 10 scientific publications have been released. PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP publishes the second report of its PONANT Science programme. Launched in 2021, this programme welcomes scientific researchers on board. It gives them access to remote ecosystems where they can collect data and contribute to international research efforts. Over the past five years, 230 researchers have come on board and 10 scientific publications have been released.
An expanded programme

The quest for new territories for scientists on board

Originally concentrated on Le Commandant Charcot, the missions are now hosted on Paul Gauguin, Le Bellot, L’Austral and Le Soléal. Mobile scientific equipment kits have been specifically developed for these ships to enable the collection, storage and analysis of samples on board. The expansion of the programme facilitates access to new, hard-to-reach territories such as the Society Islands in Polynesia and the Kimberley region in Australia.

Kimberley Falls in Australia
Dr Megan CLAMPITT

Scientific Director, PONANT Science.

Dr Megan CLAMPITT

« The year 2024 marked a real turning point. With four additional ships hosting scientific missions, we have increased the number of research projects and expanded our geographical reach. We establish long-term partnerships that allow teams to return to the same regions for several years and monitor environmental changes over time. »
Scientific expertise

Five key projects

PONANT Science supports numerous multidisciplinary research projects in three main areas: ecology and climate change, biodiversity and conservation, and anthropogenic impacts and micro-pollution. The programme has a rigorous system for selecting projects, organising missions and sharing knowledge.

Meteorologic Ballon
Arctic
The Transarctic

A complete crossing was made from west to east across the Arctic Ocean to document changes in ice, air, water and pollution in the Arctic system in transition. For 20 days, 20 scientists from 7 countries and 11 institutions conducted an unprecedented mission in one of the most extreme and inaccessible environments on the planet.

CO₂ fluxes between the air and the sea

This mission aimed to monitor CO₂ fluxes between the air and the sea and to study carbon storage in deep waters. Its objective: to better understand the role of the Arctic in the carbon cycle, a fundamental factor in regulating the global climate, in order to refine climate models and anticipate the long-term impacts of global warming.

Climate and aerial biodiversity

A mission to better understand how microorganisms present in the air influence the Arctic climate balance. Certain species play a crucial role in regulating greenhouse gases, cloud formation and the amount of solar radiation reflected or absorbed by the Earth's surface.

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Polar expedition
Polynesia

Seagrass: a first large-scale study

The study aims to investigate tropical seagrass habitats in remote Polynesian sites, which are essential but understudied ecosystems that have the capacity to capture and store atmospheric CO₂.

Lagoon in Polynesia
Antarctica

Genomics of seabirds

The aim was to collect biological samples from seabirds, invertebrates, plants and soil in order to better understand how life adapts to extreme polar conditions and responds to climate change.

Emperor penguin in Antarctica
PONANT science

Find out more about the PONANT science programme

Editions

Scientific publications

Rosenfeld, Sebastián (2023)

Revealing the hidden biodiversity of Antarctic and the Magellanic Sub-Antarctic Ecoregion: A comprehensive study of aquatic invertebrates from the BASE Project

Maturana, Claudia S. (2023)

Frontiers | Ancient diversification in extreme environments: exploring the historical biogeography of the Antarctic winged midge Parochlus steinenii (Diptera: Chironomidae)

González-Wevar, Claudio A. (2024)

Frontiers | Both high and low dispersal? Apparently contradictory genetic patterns in the Antarctic littorinid gastropod Laevilacunaria antarctica

Varnajot, Alix (2024)

Full article: Destination 90°N: dimensions and geographies of tourism at the North Pole

Gigault, Julien (2024)

Waste Combustion Releases Anthropogenic Nanomaterials in Indigenous Arctic Communities | Environmental Science & Technology

Henderson, Angus F. (2022)

The most southerly occurrence of humpback whales in the western Weddell Sea - Henderson - 2023 - Marine Mammal Science - Wiley Online Library

León, Fabiola (2025)

Tracking HPAIV H5 through a geographic survey of Antarctic seabird populations | Scientific Reports

Galgani, François (2026)

Plastic pollution in Leeward, Moorea and Cook islands (South Pacific): A baseline study - ScienceDirect

Hagge, Perrin (2025)

Nitrogen fixation in Arctic lichens and mosses: A survey across circumpolar subzones - ScienceDirect