SCIENCE
Floating research labs take science offshore
Modular ships and platforms extend labs into deep, dynamic ocean environments
Float Lab. Image by Dezeen
Marine science is shifting to the water’s edge. Floating research laboratories—retrofitted ships, platforms, and sea hubs—allow scientists to live and work at sea, testing climate models, biotech, and biodiversity up close.
Recent, real progress includes:
PLOCAN’s offshore ocean platform in action
The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) operates a stationary offshore platform located 1.5 km off Gran Canaria. It supports multidisciplinary labs with facilities for experiments, data collection, and personnel accommodation—all year-round in industry-safe deployment.OceanXplorer: science meets storytelling at sea
The OceanXplorer vessel—launched in 2025—is a floating lab and media hub built to explore the ocean and film discoveries. It includes wet and dry labs, submersibles, ROVs, and real-time science visualization capabilities.NASA joins OceanX for deep ocean measurement mission
In mid-2025, OceanX and NASA collaborated aboard OceanXplorer to collect in-water optical and oceanographic measurements to validate satellite data, merging floating lab work with space-based observation.
PLOCAN, Source: Facebook / Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias
That’s not all: PLOCAN also operates a 23 km² test site for marine technologies—offering infrastructure for marine energy, glider operations, and environmental sensor trials.
Floating research platforms are now practical, not theoretical. With stable structures, living spaces, and operational labs at sea, they’re rapidly becoming central to ocean observation, education, and climate adaptation.
—TFE
The Floating Institute is all about advancing knowledge of the global floating economy.