Marion Dufresne to reduce rotations to French Southern and Antarctic Lands

The Marion Dufresne, a vessel belonging to the administration of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF), will reduce its annual supply rotations starting at the end of 2026. The number of trips will decrease from four to three per year.

According to the TAAF prefecture in Saint-Pierre, this reduction is not driven by financial reasons. Instead, the change is intended to facilitate better crew training and overlapping operational periods. The vessel will continue its mission to supply islands such as Amsterdam, Crozet, and Kerguelen, and will maintain its close cooperation with Ifremer scientists for oceanographic research.

To implement this change, the final two rotations scheduled between October and December will be merged. While the impact on the scientific community and local populations in the southern districts remains to be fully determined, the prefecture has confirmed that there are currently no plans to decommission the ship.