Franck Gazzola, Under The Pole Expedition: searching for natural fluorescence in the Arctic ocean (Doco/Photojournalism (2018))

''Under The Pole'' is a series of underwater exploration expedition. This summer, the expedition sailed through the route of the northwest passage, in the high arctic, at the very of the Northern American continent, searching for signs of natural fluorescence on animals living under the surface, a world's first in this part of the globe. Equiped with UV lights underwater to reveal the fluorescence, the team was diving to identify species which would create their own light for reasons that are still mainly unknown by scientists. It was unsure whether any fluorescent living creatures would live in this region due to the absence of light for the major part of the year. The mission was extremely challenging: sailing in this region is extremely difficult as it is only possible to cross this Northwest Passage only a few weeks in the year due to the presence of sea ice. The window to sail through is short and only a few boats (less than 10 on average) manage to sail through every Summer. Diving for science in waters around the zero degree mark in the most remote part of the globe whilst ensuring a safe sailing is a challenge of every moment. All shots taken by Franck Gazzola (surface and underwater). Copyright Franck Gazzola / Under The Pole

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