Berlin (AFP)

The members of the largest scientific expedition ever in the Arctic had prepared for everything, even attacks by polar bears. But not to a pandemic that would threaten the pursuit of their mission.

Two months late, the scientists of this international crew, responsible for more than a year to study the consequences of climate change at the North Pole, should finally be able to take turns in the coming days.

Back from the North Pole, where it has drifted all winter in the ice, the Polarstern icebreaker from the German Alfred-Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven (north-west) should soon approach the coasts of the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

He will then disembark a hundred international researchers, who have just spent almost three months at the North Pole, to embark a hundred of their colleagues, including the head of this mission, Markus Rex, sent on board two research boats from Bremerhaven.

- 600 experts -

"We had to put together a new plan very quickly", after the appearance of the pandemic which put the world at a standstill, he indicates by telephone to AFP from Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard.

The expedition, called MOSAIC and departed in September from Norway, aims to study both the atmosphere, the ocean, the sea of ​​ice and the ecosystem to collect data assessing the impact of climate change on the region and the whole world.

For 390 days, some 600 experts and scientists take turns on the ship which let itself slide with ice according to the polar drift, this ocean current which flows from east to west in the Arctic Ocean.

At the end of February, the boat was only 156 km from the North Pole. Never before has a boat climbed so north in winter.

Initially, the new team, composed of experts from a dozen different countries, was to join the Polarstern by plane from the Svalbards in early April. But the closing of the borders nailed the devices to the ground.

Finally after many obstacles, the mission leaders decided to transport the scientists, as well as food and fuel, by boat to Spitsbergen.

The Polarstern, for its part, interrupted its research for a few weeks to pick up its new team.

"The second big difficulty we faced was making sure that the virus did not spread among the members of the expedition," continues Markus Rex.

- Strict quarantine -

For this, a strict quarantine of more than 14 days was imposed on the whole new team in two hotels in Bremerhaven fully rented for them.

"The doors (of the bedrooms) could not open, there was no contact with outside people (...). Meal trays were delivered to us in front of the door," he explains.

The only distraction of confined scientists: singing The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" at their window, reports the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

"Everyone has undergone three tests" of Covid-19, says Markus Rex, relieved that this mission to which he has devoted 11 years of his life can continue.

Aboard the "Polarstern", which has already faced 150 days of polar night and temperatures dropped to -39.5 ° C, the team experienced the remote control of the world.

"Many of them have families and are obviously trying to stay as close as possible to their loved ones by satellite phone," said Torsten Kanzow, currently on the icebreaker.

But no worries about a possible shortage of food. Stocks had been shipped for several months.

In the end, these obstacles should not have a major impact on the research conducted, according to Markus Rex. "Automatic measuring instruments" left on the ice research camp "send us very interesting daily new data" even if "we have an interruption of certain measurements" during the absence of Polarstern ".

The end of the expedition therefore remains maintained for October 12.

© 2020 AFP