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April 21, 2021 at 9:57am
Christian Lopes wasn’t supposed to join a 52-day journey to study the Indian Ocean, but a chance opportunity landed him a spot aboard the
Marion Dufresne.
In January, he embarked on the research cruise to assist with research that was not his own. The following two months were surreal. Time passed strangely. As the internet signal grew weaker, the rest of the world faded away, quieted. The
Marion Dufresne became its own sort of world. In that world, there was one constant, a steadying force — research.
The
Marion Dufresne’s journey was part of GEOTRACES — a global program focused on measuring and mapping the geochemistry of the world’s oceans. The massive French research ship, which normally brings food, water and other supplies to the islands, is designed to cut through even the worst storms with a deck that rises 26 feet above the sea. But this time, the ship stayed at sea following a circular loop.