Jean-Louis Étienne, renowned French explorer and environmental advocate, was the first person to reach the North Pole solo in 1986. 5 years later, he co-led the epic 3,741-mile-long International Trans-Antarctica Expedition—the first-ever dog sled complete trans-continental crossing of Antarctica, finally achieving Shackleton’s dream 76 years later—alongside American explorer Will Steger and an international team.
Throughout his career, Étienne has championed scientific exploration to protect Earth’s fragile ecosystems, with expeditions spanning from the Himalayas to Patagonia. Today, he continues to pioneer groundbreaking expeditions through Océan Polaire, the nonprofit association he founded in 1992, to gather vital data on the Southern Ocean to advance global climate research.
Océan Polaire: Leveraging Adventure for Scientific Progress
Océan Polaire’s adventurous spirit is deeply intertwined with Jean-Louis Étienne’s experience and advocacy. “Jean-Louis continues to inspire our projects with his visionary approach to environmental issues. Decades ago, he was already concerned about biodiversity and climate change, topics that are now widely acknowledged,” explains Elsa Pény-Étienne, Director of the Polar Pod operations. “His expeditions seamlessly combine scientific research, education, and human adventure, capturing public interest through media coverage and films. This approach has been instrumental in raising awareness and remains central to our missions.”
Like many of Jean-Louis Étienne’s adventures, the current work being carried out by Océan Polaire is remarkable both for its challenges and unprecedented insights.
“We are always working on scientific and educational missions, with logistics in remote regions such as the North and South Poles,” explains Elsa Pény-Étienne. Alongside a mission on Clipperton, a French island off the coast of Mexico, Océan Polaire’s work in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans is unique and uncommon. “What these regions have in common is that they are very difficult to access,” Elsa Pény-Étienne describes.
At the windy latitudes between 40 and 60 degrees, known as the Roaring 40s and Furious 50s, sustained winds regularly reach over 40 mph, and gusts approach 70 mph, making navigation at sea dangerous.
Due to their inaccessibility, these regions are often under-researched, making Océan Polaire’s work crucial for scientific headway. For decades, the organization has collected data on key markers of Ocean health in Arctic regions. These zones are vital to the entire planetary ecosystem’s health, far more than many may realize. “It’s an Ocean that’s relatively unknown, and yet it’s an immense carbon reservoir. It’s a major element in striking a certain balance against global warming, so it’s essential.”
The Southern Ocean plays an outsized role in absorbing atmospheric CO₂— despite its representing only about 30% of the ocean surface, it absorbs 40–50% of the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO₂ due to the cold temperature.
A lack of research leaves us with a serious blind spot over this vital region—undermining our ability to accurately model climate change, track pollution pathways, and protect the biodiversity and resources that sustain marine and human life, as well as the blue economy.
Océan Polaire is working to close this gap, especially through the launch of its Southern Océan expedition aboard the Polar Pod. “The Polar Pod is an instrument, a vessel, that is 100 meters tall, and it’s very stable because it goes 80 meters underwater and is able to “anchor” onto deep water, which is far less turbulent. And that’s why scientists can stay for long periods. So, we’re talking about 3 years, with a rotation of scientists and naval staff every 2 months. That’s what makes it possible to work safely in the Southern Ocean.”
The Polar Pod, alongside the sailing ship Perseverance, is a powerful tool in tackling scientific data collection in the Southern Ocean, and raising awareness about the ongoing shifts they are observing.
Open Science and International Collaboration
A key pillar of the organization’s mission is also to make their data available to the global scientific community, with major partnerships in the United States, including the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California.
Collaborating with international institutions like the French National Space Agency, the European Space Agency, and NASA, Océan Polaire also helps to recalibrate satellite observations by providing ground-truth data matching the color of water captured in images to salinity levels and water temperature. Current and detailed measurements are crucial to international climate monitoring groups, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, another beneficiary of the data collected by Océan Polaire.
This data not only serves as a benchmark for monitoring the state of the Southern Ocean, but is also a necessary element for enabling concrete action. “Our research provides essential data that informs environmental policies, such as the establishment ofmarine protected areas,” explains Elsa Pény-Étienne. “By raising public awareness and understanding, we empower citizens to support and advocate for necessary policy changes… We are faster when we work together.”
Regularly participating in international ocean conferences—including the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, in June 2025—Ocean Polaire is helping to steer global conversation around the urgent need for marine protection, biodiversity preservation, and a scientifically informed response to climate change.
Educational Outreach: From Classrooms to Public Health
Education has always been integral to the organization’s mission. “Even during the Minitel era,” specifies Elsa Pény-Étienne, alluding to the French internet-like technology from the 1980s, “we shared real-time updates with schools, including Jean-Louis’s international expeditions like the Trans-Antarctica crossing.” While adventure is the hook, education is the goal.
Over time, Océan Polaire has distributed educational materials related to ocean science to schools across France and has even been recognized as a reference program for integrating the internet into the classroom—a technological pioneer from the very beginning.
“Currently, we operate a mobile educational bus that visits schools across France, from primary to high school levels, conducting multiple interactive sessions daily. We also collaborate with vocational high schools to develop Oceanographic buoys, providing hands-on experience in scientific research.”
Educating the public is a top priority. “We strive to make complex scientific concepts accessible,” explains Elsa Pény-Étienne. Océan Polaire achieves this through engaging and interactive methods, such as a digital twin of the expedition sharing its location in real time, and 3D models available on their website. “Understanding environmental issues is not only about preserving biodiversity but also about recognizing the direct impact on human health, as pollutants in marine ecosystems can enter the food chain and affect us all.”
This connection to public health is more than theoretical. In their fieldwork, Océan Polaire has detected serious levels of pollutants and contaminants in marine ecosystems, including traces of heavy metals found in the blubber of polar bears and marine mammals. These contaminants are also showing up in the phytoplankton and fish we consume.
One striking example of adaptation comes from the penguins of the Southern Océan, which, due to dwindling amounts of fish, now travel longer distances to feed their young. Scientists have discovered that some penguins have begun secreting a chemical in their stomachs to slow digestion, ensuring there’s still nourishment left for their chicks upon return. It’s a powerful illustration of how species are adapting in real time to the pressures of a changing ocean.
Demystifying science is Océan Polaire’s mission. The organization shares the data they glean through diverse, even game-like methods they have made available online. From engaging schoolchildren to sharing information with the wider public, Océan Polaire is ensuring that everyone, not just scientists and specialists, has the facts they need to understand the ocean that provides the resources we all benefit from.
Partnership with Friends of Fondation de France
Already connected to the United States through key research collaborations with research institutions, Océan Polaire has joined the Friends of Fondation de France network to benefit from tax-deductible support of U.S.-based donors and extend their partnerships even further.
“Collaborating with Friends of Fondation de France allows us to engage with U.S. donors effectively… which is vital for supporting our expeditions and educational initiatives,” details Pény-Étienne.
Funding from U.S. donors goes directly toward supporting Océan Polaire’s current and future expeditions to continue collecting key insights and contributing to greater knowledge of critically understudied yet ecologically imperative Océans.
Learn more about Océan Polaire and how you can support their mission on their page on our website.
