Context

The platform named "FOREL" aims to honor François-Alphonse Forel, the pioneer in lake studies and the founding father of limnology. This science has developed since the 20th century and focuses on studying and comparing lakes. In addition to this thematic link, this tribute is also geographical, as François-Alphonse Forel is originally from Switzerland, where he spent most of his life.
Publication « François Alphonse Forel and the oceanography of lakes »

"FOREL" dedicates most of its activities to coastal oceanographic research in polar and subpolar regions.

Training of young sailors

The training of young generations is a key objective of the Forel Héritage Association. The "FOREL" platform also has the mission of training young sailors and scientists to face the challenges of polar and subpolar regions, with particular attention to health and safety.

History

The Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) established the Swiss Polar Institute (SPI) in December 2015, with the mission to be an interdisciplinary center dedicated to research on the poles and other extreme environments. Today, the SPI is a foundation that brings together various laboratories from Swiss universities and the two federal polytechnic schools. Its goal is to strengthen its contribution to polar research. The SPI is financially supported by the Swiss Confederation and philanthropists based in Switzerland.

The Swiss Polar Foundation (SPF) was created in March 2018 to support Swiss polar research by funding research programs and supporting polar infrastructures. Its mission is to promote the advancement of education, science, research, understanding, and knowledge of extreme environments, such as those encountered in polar regions, with a focus on projects and activities originating from the Swiss scientific community. The SPF also aims to support international research projects.

In this context, the Swiss Polar Foundation acquired the Paratii-2 in 2022, a 28-meter motorized sailboat with an aluminum hull. In 2024, the foundation transferred ownership of the vessel to the Forel Heritage Association. The vessel was modernized and refitted in Lorient (France) into an oceanographic platform, including a CTD, a rosette, and a Ferrybox to perform physicochemical measurements and water sampling. The platform is equipped with a winch and cable for sample collection at depths of up to 1,000 meters. Work surfaces, hoods, laminar flows, Milli-Q water production, freezers, chemical cabinets, etc., have been set up to accommodate additional equipment that scientists can install for the projects they will conduct aboard the ship. Regarding future developments, it is planned to equip the winch with an electro-powered cable.