Yacht to retrace Darwin's voyage to map climate change
Sep 3rd, 2009
A French yacht is set to undertake an 81,000 nautical mile journey in an effort to map the effects of climate change on marine organisms.The 36-metre double-masted yacht schooner Tara will undertake the voyage that retraces and expands upon the historic journey that Darwin took in the 1830's, according to AFP.
Head of Tara Expeditions, Etienne Bourgois, told the news agency: "This ambitious mission will plunge us into the invisible world of marine ecosystems, one of the least explored realms of oceanography.
"From viruses to jelly fish, larvae and fish and coral, to various microorganisms such as coccolithophorids and diatoms, we are going to study all the ecosystems at the base of the marine food chain."
The microscopic flora and fauna that will be studied on the voyage produces for 50 per cent of all the world's oxygen.
Another historical yacht voyage was undertaken recently by Hilary Lister, who became the first Quadriplegic woman to sail solo around the UK.
"I would recommend Dream Marine to others. Everyone was easygoing and helpful. I didn’t mind who I talked to. It was all good. Shame having to come back to London afterwards.
Come on Chris… when’s the next one?"
Come on Chris… when’s the next one?"
