CNN Correspondent: Ghislain Bardout goes deep, much deeper than most. In fact, since setting up Under the Pole with his wife Emmanuel in 2007, he has conducted thousands of dives, often to 150 or even 200 meters deep. His 1crew has 2explored everywhere, from the 3Arctic to the Canary Islands, French Polynesia to the Caribbean. 

Ghislain Bardout: We are talking about huge 4ecosystem that covered the entire 5planet on the shore, everywhere. It's just below 30 meters, 40 meters, and there are for sure many 6species, many different ecosystems that all have a huge importance. So,7 acquiring a better understanding of their 8ecology is 9essential for the 10conservation of those depths. 

CNN Correspondent: With scientists aboard their boat, Under the Pole 11aims to 12document these ecosystems for the first time and help 13preserve their future. Ghislain's team are preparing for a six month 14expedition in the 15Mediterranean that will take them from Greece to Italy to France. In 2022, Under the Pole helped gain protection for black coral forests in the Canary Islands. And they believe there is a similar ecosystem to be explored on their Mediterranean 16voyage next year. 

Ghislain Bardout: In Greece, they already explored the depths with robots, ROVs(Remotely Operated Vehicle), so they know some fields of black corals, but are not able to study it because of the depth, because they do not have the divers to do so. And I like those missions where there¡¯s huge 17collaborations with different people that can do together something they cannot do alone or just with their own team.