« PAKAIHI I TE MOANA », a research cruise in the Marquesas Islands from 25 October 2011 to 24 February 2012
From October 2011 to February 2012, some forty scientists will relay each other over a four-month period aboard the New Zealand research vessel Braveheart. Their mission: to study the natural heritage of the Marquesas Islands. Never before has such an all-inclusive exploration — spanning from the coast to offshore, from algae to invertebrates, from pelagic fish to deep-sea predators, from seamounts to sunken caves — been undertaken in this archipelago or even in all of French Polynesia.
Named Pakaihi o te Moana ("respect the ocean"), this oceanographic expedition is the product of strong partnerships among international institutes, is sponsored by French Polynesia and is organised by the six Marquesas mayors. This cruise was planned and funded by the Marine Protected Areas Agency, a national governmental body devoted to protecting the marine environment. The MPA Agency benefits from technical and logistical support provided by the Island Research Centre and Environmental Observatory (CRIOBE).
This cruise draws on the complementary scientific know-how brought by many research organisations, such as IFREMER, the Institute for Research and Development (IRD), the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) and the University of French Polynesia, as well as partnerships established with the Polynesian Fisheries Agency and the Institut Louis Malardé.
Press release (in French): National Science Week 2011:
Press release (in French): first leg of the cruise: