Bangalore: A 36-metre sailboat, on a three-year expedition across the world to study oceanic ecosystems and attempt to provide answers to climate issues, is on course to cruise into Indian shores this month.
'Tara', which set sail from Lorient in France on September 5 last year, will stopover in Mumbai on March 25 and in Goa on April one before continuing through the Indian Ocean and towards South America by the end of 2010.
The French-led 'Tara Oceans' expedition is carrying out a detailed analysis of microscopic life throughout the worlds? oceans to understand its importance and its sensitivity to climate change.
"We hope we will find out what the oceans will look like in 100 years.....Which micro-organisms have gone extinct, which micro-organisms have taken over and how oceans will influence climate in future", Scientific Coordinator of Tara Ocean, Chris Bowler, said.
It's a three year project, bringing together an international team of oceanographers, ecologists, biologists, geneticists, and physicists from prestigious laboratories
headed by Eric Karsenti of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.
At any given point of time, there are 14 people on board -- five sailors, five scientists and four journalists.
These sailors dive into the sea 2000 metres deep and pull out microscopic life three-four times a week, Bowler, also an Advisory Board Member of Bangalore-based firm Avesthagen, said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, March 22, 2010, 10:34