FOREL, a platform dedicated to polar science

# learn, understand, raise awareness to better protect.

05.08.2024

End of the mission in Greenland

The mission to Greenland comes to an end, but the scientific adventure continues… A successful mission for this first expedition aboard FOREL in the greenlandic fjords. The various scientists were able to carry out their research programmes and the boat proved its adaptability and efficiency.

Read more
27.07.2024

Meet the FOREL’s crew #captain Baptiste Reigner

« As a new scientific sailing vessel, this summer is a test expedition for FOREL. It is also the culmination of several months’ work. It’s the reward for an entire crew who worked in Lorient (home harbor of FOREL in France) to make these missions possible. As captain, I had to prepare, coordinate, improvise and find the right companies and crew to work on the ship’s modification..." ​​​​​​​

Read more
25.07.2024

Benthos project : the photo/video frame

Donavan Cantin aboard FOREL, a master’s student in biology at Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada (student of Dr. Philippe Archambault* ) : " A camera capable of operating at depths of up to 60 meters and a diving light are attached to the top of the frame, providing images of the bottom and the organisms within it..."

Read more

The polar regions play a central role in the planet's climatic equilibrium and represent a crucial challenge for our society. The poles are the most sensitive regions to climate change, with the following deleterious consequences:

melting sea ice, glaciers, ice caps, thawing permafrost and extreme weather phenomena due to the acceleration of anthropogenic warming in recent decades ;
environmental pollution (microplastics, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, gases, etc.), the effects of which are felt even in the most remote polar regions, with impacts on health in the broadest sense and on the food chain ;
changes in biodiversity in polar ecosystems and the decline of species adapted to extreme conditions ;
environmental changes, which impact the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples by modifying their living environments and traditional food sources (country food).

To enable the Swiss and International scientific communities to better understand these disturbances and propose strategies to mitigate them, the Forel Heritage Association provides scientists with a mobile oceanographic platform in the form of a sailing vessel dedicated to polar research.

Our sponsors

Our partners