Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout, co-founder of Under The Pole

© Under The Pole

Emmanuelle, co-founder of Under The Pole,

Emmanuelle grew up far from the sea, in the French region of Champagne. But as a teenager, her passion for the ocean and Captain Cousteau's stories led her to enroll in a program that took her on a school-sailboat for 6 months. As she embarked, she knew that it was the beginning of a life shaped by the ocean. A few years later, she became a sailing instructor and put her nautical skills at the disposal of the explorer Jean-Louis Etienne. There, she discovered the exciting world of exploration! She became a diver, and met her husband, Ghislain, with whom she co-founded Under The Pole - a series of deep-water diving expeditions in extreme environments, at the service of science.

A first expedition at the heart of the polar world, diving in extreme environments.

In 2010, Emmanuelle, Ghislain, 6 team members (and their husky, ​​Kayak!) set out on the Arctic ice floe, a frozen ocean in constant movement, with temperatures as low as -50C. Their goal? Reaching the Geographic North Pole, while diving to discover what hides underneath the ice floe - a first! An exciting and frightening expedition where, once underwater, the unique nature of their experience took over - they discovered exceptional sights, with some of the clearest waters in the world and beautiful ice cathedrals. An experience that compensated all the challenges, however big, of leading such an expedition.

They came back from this expedition with an award-winning film and photos that toured the world. They became witnesses of this threatened ocean, but also of its great diversity. This is the beginning of Under The Pole.

Witnesses of a fascinating but fragile world,

During their first three expeditions, from polar to tropical zones, they realized that the surface of the oceans, more accessible, was pretty well understood. In particular, the strong pressures it experiences, such as pollution, global warming, and acidification. They also realized that the deeper levels of the ocean were much less known, despite the presence of extremely important ecosystems. In particular, marine animal forests that act as refuges for biodiversity; but which, invisible from the surface, can be destroyed very quickly. Protecting these ecosystems became their mission.

© Under The Pole

Putting their deep-water diving expertise at the service of science,

Since 2023, their Deep Life expedition is on a mission to study the mesophotic zone, between 30 and 200 m under the surface, across the oceans. A deep area, very difficult to access and little known to scientists but which, thanks to their own know-how, becomes accessible.

During the expedition, Under The Pole divers become the eyes and hands of underwater researchers. Trained at the start of the mission, the teams follow scientific protocols to ensure that the dives are as successful and efficient as possible. Divers quickly develop an ability to collect samples of what may seem new and play a role in alerting scientists as quickly as possible.

Much more than an expedition, this program, labeled scientific program of the United Nations decade of ocean sciences for sustainable development, will take place over ten years. 10 years, the time that science needs to make discoveries and understand this little-known ecosystem. DeepLife is carried out in collaboration with the CNRS and an international scientific consortium of around forty researchers.

With the ultimate goal of disseminating and contributing to the knowledge of marine ecosystems in to order to accelerate their conservation.

All these experiences are at the root of their mission to protect the ocean. However, to protect, proofs and in-depth understanding of these ecosystems are needed and that’s where science comes in. They also share and raise awareness to the general public and schools through photo reports, documentaries, and science programs.

They have the strong desire to bring the ocean to the earth, to advocate for change amongst decision-makers, to accelerate the protection of the oceans, and to ensure that mesophotic zones are taken into account in priority protection zones.

Follow Under The Pole's expeditions on social media

• Their website which offers a wealth of information on their expeditions and the oceanic world

• Their Instagram page to follow their shipments and latest news

• And their YouTube channel with great web series which have followed the expeditions since 2014 and which allow you to immerse yourself in the world of Under The Pole. These videos show the expedition as they experience it on a daily basis.

© Under The Pole