General Overview
In 2026, the scientific sailing vessel FOREL will conduct three major research campaigns along the west and east coasts of Greenland. Organized by the Forel Heritage Association, the expedition will take place from 27 May to 1 October 2026.
The main objective is to improve understanding of the impacts of climate change on Greenlandic fjords, their ecosystems, microbiomes, and biogeochemical cycles.
Seven international scientific programs will be carried out, covering carbon fluxes, microbiology, zooplankton, nano- and microparticles, robotics, atmosphere, and glacial dynamics.
Planned ports of call include Kangerlussuaq, Nuuk, Narsaq, Tasiilaq, and Ittoqqortoormiit.
LEG 1a – North Atlantic Crossing, Lorient - Kangerlussuaq (27 May – 12 June)
FOREL will depart from the Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly in Lorient (France) on 27 May to cross the North Atlantic and reach Kangerlussuaq (Greenland), where the first scientific teams will embark.
LEG 1b – West Coast of Greenland - Narsaq (16 June -17 July)
During this leg, FOREL will take part in the CASCADES program, a joint initiative of INQ, SPI, and IPEV, conducted along the west coast of Greenland and the eastern Canadian Arctic (https://swisspolar.ch/expeditions/cascades/).
Two complementary platforms will be used: the NGCC Amundsen, operating further north and offshore, and the sailing vessel FOREL, focusing on southern Greenland and fjords. This approach will allow testing the complementarity of the two platforms.
FOREL will sail along the west coast of Greenland from Kangerlussuaq to Narsaq, sampling eight fjords along a north–south gradient. A stop of about three days in Nuuk is planned to continue educational and science outreach activities with the University of Greenland, local schools, the Nuuk Art School, and local communities.
The scientific work during this leg will focus on three themes:
- Reconstructing glacier history and analyzing sediment and carbon fluxes to fjords;
- Studying microbial processes in air, water, and sediments;
- Assessing the role of zooplankton and fish larvae in the biological carbon pump.
LEG 2 – East Coast of Greenland, Narsaq - Ittoqqortoormiit (27 July - 14 August)
FOREL will then continue along the east coast of Greenland, sailing north to Ittoqqortoormiit, with a new team of researchers embarking in Narsaq.
For approximately twenty days, the vessel will serve as a research platform for two EPFL teams working on:
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Exploration of polar microbiomes using advanced molecular approaches and robotic sampling
with drones. - Testing innovative robotic technologies to access difficult-to-reach sampling areas.
LEG 3 – East Coast of Greenland (Return Leg), Ittoqqortoormiit - Narsaq (20 August - 11 September)
To conclude the 2026 mission, FOREL will sail back from Ittoqqortoormiit to Narsaq. During this leg, the vessel will host two teams from Université Laval.
Research programs on contaminants and particles, previously conducted in 2025 on the west coast of Greenland, will be deployed on the east coast in 2026 to enable comparative analyses between the two coasts and different ocean currents. This work will focus in particular on:
- Characterizing natural and anthropogenic micro- and nanoparticles in fjords;
- Studying the role of the microbial loop in the export of organic matter to fjord sediments.
Water samples will also be collected throughout the transit legs to measure contaminants and chemical elements.
FOREL is expected to return to Lorient, its home port, in late September or early October 2026.
