(ANA-MPA) -- The French scientific research ship "Tara" was due to dock in southern coastal Athens' Flisvos marina on Wednesday, where it will remain until Sunday.

The vessel's 15-member crew is made up of oceanographers, biologists, geneticists and other experts from distinguished scientific research centers.

Its three-year mission, "Tara Oceans", to all the seas of the world was launched on Sept. 5, 2009 from the port of Lorient in Brittany and will be completed in 2012, having covered a total of 150,000 kms (81,000 nautical miles) and visiting roughly 50 countries.

The next scheduled stop of the ship will be Larnaca, Cyprus on Dec. 4 before heading for Lebanon and Egypt en route to the Indian Ocean.

"Tara Oceans" is an international mission organised by Tara Expeditions and an international scientific consortium under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The mission will attempt to provide answers to climate issues and further knowledge on marine biodiversity by studying microscopic life in the oceans to understand its impact on the climate of the planet.

The goal is to inform the public about the vital role of oceans while boosting environmental awareness particularly among children.