The 'Tara Polar Station', which is shaped like an igloo, has begun its expedition in the Arctic. There are 12 people aboard the station.
The expedition started on July 19 from the city of Lorient, located in the French region of Brittany. The station crossed Russian waters, and a Chinese oceanographic icebreaker cleared the way for it, after which it became blocked by ice.
Thirty research centers from twelve countries have joined this research mission. The goal of the expedition is to study biodiversity and the impact of climate change in the ocean, which is warming three to four times faster than the rest of the planet.
This laboratory was designed to withstand the pressure of sea ice and cope with temperatures down to minus 52ºC.