1st February 2024
Start of oceanographic cruises
After MARGOLAND, the project turns to the sea. On February 1st, the Marion Dufresne and La Curieuse are anchored in front of the Port au Français base. A unique rendezvous we've been planning for a long time.
La Curieuse is a 25 m vessel present on Kerguelen during the summer months. It provides transport for IPEV and TAAF Environment Department program staff to sites on the island that cannot be reached by foot due to their remoteness.
But for MARGO, the ship will be transformed into an oceanographic vessel for a few days. The equipment shipped from mainland France has been loaded onto the barge, and 6 scientists and one IPEV staff member will be joining it to carry out MARGOBAY. The operations will take place in Irish Bay, an ancient glacial fjord in the north of the island, at the bottom of the Gulf of Whalers.
The Marion Dufresne is a 120 m vessel operated by the French Oceanographic Fleet. On board, some twenty scientists left Reunion Island on January 11 to carry out the MARGOCEAN campaign. The ship's workboat was also used for targeted sampling of glacial plumes.