FOREL 2024 Expedition

FOREL is a 28-meter long motorized sailing vessel with an aluminum hull allowing her to navigate in polar and sub-polar regions. The vessel has been refitted in Lorient in western France, as a scientific platform including basic oceanography equipment such as CTD, a rosette and a Ferrybox for physicochemical measurements and water sampling.

The platform is equipped with a winch and cable, allowing various samples to be collected at depths of up to 1,000 meters. Lab benches, fume hoods, Milli-Q water production, freezers, chemical cabinets, etc. have been installed to accommodate additional equipment that scientists will be able to bring on board as part of their projects. It has the ambition to train young sailors and scientists to the challenges of the polar regions.

The Forel-Héritage Association is committed to fostering connections between the scientific community, the general public, and local populations. Transparency and cultural sensitivity are central to its approach in all regions where FOREL operates.

During its 2024 mission, FOREL engaged Greenlandic communities through inclusive and multilingual communication. Information about the vessel’s arrival and scientific objectives was shared via informative posters and social media content in Greenlandic. While in port, the vessel remained open and accessible to the local residents, encouraging spontaneous visits and informal exchanges. The stopover in Paamiut, for example, enabled the crew to engage with the local community – welcoming children aboard and strengthening local ties.

In France, in collaboration with the Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly (CDLV), the vessel welcomed over 110,000 visitors – including more than 100 schoolchildren – for dockside visits and educational tours led by CDLV facilitators, trained by the Forel-Héritage Association.

This initiative is part of the broader educational mission of Forel-Héritage Association: to share polar science with a wide audience, promote collective responsibility for the polar regions, and encourage their long-term preservation. Even in the final days leading up to FOREL’s first expedition to Greenland, the crew continued to welcome the schoolchildren aboard the ship. Thanks to the expertise of the CDLV guides, many young visitors left with a deeper understanding of the polar world.

During the 2024 campaign, FOREL encountered significant disruptions in Greenland’s fjords due to shifting ice patterns and abrupt weather changes. These challenges were particularly evident during a planned approach to Narsaq, when the vessel was forced to reroute and take shelter in Paamiut for several days due to unusually strong ice cover and high winds.

Later, after persistent efforts to find an open passage, the crew successfully reached Narsaq, where the GreenFjord scientific team had been awaiting their arrival. These ice conditions are not merely logistical challenges – they reflect the increasingly rapid climate change in the Arctic. Rising temperatures in the North Pole region are contributing to the fragmentation, instability, and unpredictable drift of sea ice, which complicates navigation and expedition planning across the region.

In 2024, two major international research programmes were conducted aboard FOREL:

• • The GreenFjord Project, supported by the Swiss Polar Institute, explored the interactions between the ocean, atmosphere, and ice in the Nordre Sermilik Fjord. The research team collected data on water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, particulate and dissolved organic matter, and trace gases such as CO, CHa, and NO. Atmospheric aerosol samples and environmental DNA (eDNA) were also gathered to assess biodiversity and atmospheric composition.
  • The Canadian Benthos Program, led by Université Laval, focused on the impact of glacial melt on seafloor biodiversity. By comparing zones influenced by marine- and land-terminating glaciers, the team collected samples using sediment grabs, trawling, and water column profiling with a CTD Rosette – an instrument that measures conductivity, temperature, and depth while collecting water samples at various depths.

FOREL provided a highly adaptable platform for both missions, supporting the use of advanced monitoring technologies while upholding a strong commitment to low-impact research practices. Techniques such as eDNA sampling enabled the collection of critical data with minimal environmental disturbance – advancing a more sustainable model for polar science.

With its winter refit underway in Lorient, FOREL is being prepared for an ambitious and wide-ranging 2025 expedition season. Planned missions will take the vessel to Canada’s Saguenay Fjord, Disko Bay, and back to the Southwest Greenland – supporting research on topics such as fjord coastal mapping, greenhouse gas emissions, and the role of nanoparticles.

The 2025 campaign will be longer in duration than the first season, allowing for extended fieldwork and broader scientific collaboration. Multiple institutions-including Université Laval, EPFL, UQAC, and others – will benefit from access to the platform, enabling a diverse range of interdisciplinary research.