ARICE-PONANT call for ship-time proposals ANTARCTIC-2023-2024 is now open!

In the frame of ARICE’s Ships and Platforms of Opportunity Programme and in cooperation with the company PONANT, a new call for ship time proposals to access the Polar Expedition Ship “Le Commandant Charcot” in the Southern Ocean in the Antarctic season 2023 – 2024 and beyond is now open!

Proposals are welcome to carry out research activities within any field of polar science, including marine-based and terrestrial sciences (i.e. including geology and biology in the North Antarctic Peninsula, Bellingshausen Sea, Margarite Bay, Weddell Sea, Snowhill Island, Charcot Island and Peter 1st Island, Svalbard or the Canadian Peninsula), and social sciences (restrictions may apply).

Call deadline: 20th of December 2022 12:00 CET.

“Le Commandant Charcot” is a polar expedition ship state-of-the-art icebreaker (PC2 Class) owned and operated by the company PONANT (France). The vessel is equipped with scientific laboratories and facilities and offers to host up to four scientists to participate in their regular cruises to perform scientific projects.

One of the main goals of ARICE is to use the increase in vessel traffic in the polar regions to foster the availability of environmental data for research purposes. Through the project’s established dialogue with the maritime industry, the project aims at supporting a “ships and platforms of opportunity programme” in this area.

The calls for ship-time proposals to board Le Commandant Charcot are the first joint initiative between ARICE and the maritime industry under this “ships and platforms of opportunity programme”. This is the third call for proposals opened to the scientific community in this partnership.