Conference - Under The Pole

Founded in 2008 by Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout and Ghislain Bardout, a couple of explorers who turned their passion for the deep into a commitment and a way of life, Under The Pole is now an international reference in ocean exploration and conservation. For nearly 20 years, Under The Pole has conducted scientific diving expeditions worldwide, raised awareness among young people and the general public, and engaged in advocacy within institutional circles. All our actions share a common goal: to take active steps toward preserving the Ocean and its ecosystems.

Emmanuelle and Ghislain will share with the audience their experience as co-founders and co-directors of a deep-sea scientific expedition program. They will focus in particular on Under The Pole’s latest expedition, conducted in the Antarctic Peninsula from December 2025 to March 2026, in collaboration with the CNRS as part of the DeepLife scientific program. The conference will be followed by a book signing session for their new book, "Sub Antarctica,"which recounts this extraordinary adventure.

Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout

Co-founder and Co-director of Under The Pole:  

Fascinated by the oceans since childhood, Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout trained to become a skipper and managed a sailing center at the École Nationale de Voile and Les Glénans. In 2004, she joined a year-long expedition alongside French explorer Jean-Louis Étienne as a navigator and head of nautical activities, later becoming first officer on a polar sailboat in Norway.

After a mission to the North Pole, she co-founded Under The Pole in 2008 with her husband, Ghislain Bardout. As a rebreather diver during expeditions and captain of the WHY, Under The Pole’s sailboat, she co-directs the programs both in the field and from their base in Brittany, with a special focus on education and conservation.

Ghislain Bardout

Co-founder and Co-director of Under The Pole:  

Inspired by vast open spaces—especially mountains and the ocean depths—and driven by a passion for science cultivated during his engineering studies at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Ghislain Bardout began his exploration career in 2006 alongside French explorer Jean-Louis Étienne. A passionate rebreather diver, fueled by curiosity and concerned about the impact of human activity on our planet, Ghislain designed the first "Under The Pole" expedition in 2007 with his wife, Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout. Over the past fifteen years, through four ambitious programs, he has developed expertise in deep and polar scientific diving, while structuring and expanding his expeditions, which focus on scientific discovery and public awareness.

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