Chronicle of a maritime exorcism
The last day of the mission, a relaxed atmosphere, bags packed, wetsuits drying in the sun and tired but delighted smiles.
This is precisely the moment that journalists from France 3 have chosen to arrive, curious and enthusiastic. They want to know all about the EXOFISH-MED project, exotic fish, participatory science… and I, delighted to share in this wonderful adventure, say to myself: perfect, one last interview to end the mission on a high note!
Everything goes perfectly. I explain the protocol, the dives, the biodiversity, the stakes… and add that certain exotic species can profoundly disrupt Mediterranean ecosystems. The journalist then asks me for examples, and that’s where the drama begins… I start to tell him about the champion of all categories of ecological disaster in the Eastern Mediterranean: the rabbitfish. Without realizing it, I had dropped the forbidden word. Yes. The word “rabbit”. Quietly. Naturally. As if nothing had happened.
Inevitably, since it has done so much damage to the ecosystems, I insist on saying “rabbitfish” at every turn. Three times, four times, maybe more…. without realizing that, for the sailors present, each repetition sounded like a funeral bell announcing the curse.
At the time, I’m just thinking: “Why is Xavier, our mission leader, waving his arms like a semaphore in distress behind the camera? I hesitate between “he’s giving me a big sign of encouragement” and “he’s trying to swat away a fly that’s bothering him”… So I continue, unperturbed, with my scientific discourse.
End of interview… and then Xavier literally leaps out of the box like Zebulon. He grabs the salt shaker from the edge of the table and, before I know it, spills the contents over my head, looking as solemn as a druid conjuring a curse.
Stunned silence. A few grains of salt slide down my forehead. Then, a general burst of laughter. Mostly me. Because Xavier, usually so calm, had obviously decided to save the boat… with a lot of seasoning.
Since then, whenever I come across a salt shaker, I no longer think of soup, but of my exorcism with fleur de sel, a memory that makes me smile every time and immediately makes me want to get back on board.
Virginie Raybaud
As an onboard naturalist designer, I was lucky enough to take part in the incredible Mission to Greece with Monaco Explorations, driven by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, aboard the MODX Catamarans, a 100% renewable energy vessel.
This project combines science, environmental diplomacy and awareness-raising among local communities… but it’s the baby seal below who tells it best. He mentions the scientists from Exofish Med, Mar 4 Past and CSM, Plankton Planète and Mom (HELLENIC SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF THE MONK SEAL) whom I was lucky enough to meet.
Thanks to Xavier PRACHE, Noëlie Pansiot, my troubadour friends (who will recognize themselves), the crew of the Galaxy and the Ganany and the whole Monaco Explorations team for their commitment and trust.
Anne Benoliel Defreville
Drawing Author Designer Artist
“The sea is everything! It covers seven-tenths of the globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is the immense desert where man is never alone, for he feels life quivering beside him. The sea is but the vehicle of a supernatural and prodigious existence; it is but movement and love; it is the living infinite (…).”
Jules Vernes, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. __
The living infinite. Here in Alonissos, aboard the expedition Greece, I see it everywhere, with my own eyes or in the single eye of my camera. Here, shades of blue ripple across the harbor, cats roam the alleyways hungry for a caress, and cormorants race along the beach. The living infinite materializes on every scale.
Science mediator Kelly Godard’s Curiosity is teeming with animal plankton, under the sparkling eyes of Greek children. They’ve come to take part in a Living Water workshop to discover these strange organisms, and the key roles they play in ecosystems. And, what they really love, is looking through a microscope.
Projected onto the classroom screen, toddlers discover plankton first-hand. Their eyes are drawn to the tiny crab larva, the garish phytoplankton, and the strange copepod, which spins around like a tiny dancer with antennae. The infinite living world was clearly present that day in their naturalist eyes, insatiable with curiosity about what they were discovering. Under the guise of a simple mediation workshop, here at Alonissos, a whole heritage is being passed on to the young. And when Dimitri, aged 7, jumps into my arms and says “thank you, I love you”, I have to admit that my heart melts. Passing on scientific curiosity to these young children here is not just a question of passing on knowledge: it’s a matter of passing on emotions. This living infinity is also present in a plump, deep-black-eyed form: the Mediterranean monk seal. Long hunted on beaches, now prostrate in obscure caves, this species has become the mascot of a collective protection effort, having come close to extinction. On the walls of cafés and bakeries, posters and flyers inform residents and visitors of the animal’s situation.
The day I spend with Panos Dendrinos, president of MOm, The Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk seal, will remain with me forever. We set off to check the trap cameras in the caves where the seals come to rest and give birth. Although no encounters are expected that day, every minute is filled with wonder.
We swim to our first cave. As I pass through its airlock, the clear, bluish light collapses. It’s like stepping through a door into another world. The acoustics change, fragments of posidonia embrace my legs and crash onto the tiny inner beach where I join Panos. In a corner of the cave wall, a camera, which seems to be working normally.
We move on to a second cave. And this time, I see something unusual in Panos’ eyes. Beneath this enormous rock arch, we walk along the walls with great discretion. There are no more words, just glances and gestures between us. And time flows differently, to the rhythm of the slow waves that penetrate this mysterious cavity.
Suddenly, we hear cries piercing the silence at the back of the cave: a young seal growls happily. My heart leaps. Panos points to a dark beach. “The pup is playing, the mommy is sleeping. We have to go.” I catch a glimpse of a 300-kilo mass sleeping heavily, rocked by the movements of the foam. An infinite magic takes over me. We set off again, all smiles on our faces, happy at this unexpected encounter. Here, Mediterranean monk seal populations are recovering, the fruit of over 30 years’ hard work to protect them. Panos even whispers to me that the seals are starting to come out of the caves again, to enjoy the light and safety of the beaches, just as their ancestors did. The living infinite is also present in the hearts of all the crew aboard this mission led by Explorations de Monaco. Every day, I like to observe and listen to how the actions carried out on site and the life offered by the Mediterranean catalyze in each and every one of us its share of daily anecdotes.
Here, the living infinite stirs people’s actions and hearts.
Jules Vernes had already captured this profusion of life in the oceans and seas of our blue planet in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. But since the time of this pioneering work, both in terms of fiction and the ichthyology it depicts, things have come a long way. Where the author saw waters untouchable by human “despots” , waters where “their power ceases, their influence is extinguished, their might disappears”, in 2025, reports tell us that the living infinite is dying.
So here in Alonissos, I’ve seen how people are working to bring the largest marine protected area in the Mediterranean to life, and how oceanographic expeditions are helping to spread this protection locally. Protecting our oceans and seas is an all-encompassing mission, involving mediation with the very young, raising awareness and getting to know people and social and food issues. Protecting species, going out into the field, carrying out scientific actions on site. And it was this global vision that moved me most when I embarked on this part of the Greece mission. We were all together. Together, so that infinity may live on!
Marie Treibert
Science popularizer, author, videographer
Youtube.com/laboiteacuriosites
An encounter with Monachus monachus
We left the boat behind and approached, swimming with wolf flippers so as not to make any noise. We swam along the high, wave-swept cliff to a crevice. It’s a small cave, narrow and dark, some twenty meters long, cut off from the light of the Aegean Sea. We walk along the walls, single file, to make ourselves as inconspicuous as possible. Until, at the far end, we see two small eyes shining in the darkness. There they are, on the pebbles. A female, accompanied by the young she gave birth to a few days ago. We hold our breath and keep our distance. The priority is not to startle them. The encounter is furtive, lasting less than a minute. It’s time to withdraw.
Oh, I’ve seen seals before. But these are special. The Mediterranean monk seal(Monachus monachus) is an endangered species that came close to extinction. In recent years, however, it has made a comeback. Although it is still rare, numbering barely 500 individuals, populations are increasing again. This is thanks in no small part to the work carried out by Mom (the animal protection association that guided us here) and the conservation measures implemented in the Alonissos Marine Protected Area, which is one of its refuges.
Our little team – photographer, camerawoman, writer – climb back aboard the MPA guards’ boat. We’re dripping with joy. For we have experienced a rare moment. There’s so much bad environmental news out there, it’s worth savoring when you see, in the field, that it’s possible to reverse trends and let nature reclaim its rights.
Julien Blanc-Gras
In this post, Didier Zoccola, Chargé de Recherche at the Centre Scientifique de Monaco and coral specialist, shares his thoughts on his participation in the summer thematic school organized by IRD from June 10 to 14, 2024 at the University of Seychelles. The school was part of Component B of the DIDEM program (Dialogue Science-Decision-Makers for the Integrated Management of the Coastal and Marine Environment). Its theme was the vulnerability and resilience of reef heritage (VulPaRe). Its organization was supported by Explorations de Monaco. Explorations of Monaco.
In June 2024, after 2014 and 2016, IRD organized the third edition of VulPaRe at the University of Seychelles, bringing together experts from across the Western Indian Ocean region, including Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania and Reunion, to discuss the challenges of coral reef conservation.
For five days, we plunged into the heart of coral reefs, exploring their secrets and fragilities. Conferences, lively debates and field trips were all springboards for deep reflection on the future of our oceans. I was particularly moved by the shared determination of all these players, from so many different backgrounds, to join forces to face up to the climate challenge.
Beyond the theoretical concepts, it was the spirit of collaboration that really impressed me. The shared meals and passionate discussions, far from screens and virtual meetings, revealed the power of human exchange. Yes, science is a universal language, but it’s in meeting others, in sharing our experiences and emotions, that real solutions are born.
During my speech, I made a point of presenting the World Coral Conservatory as a player committed to this common struggle. But beyond this presentation, it was hope that animated me. The hope of seeing young researchers, managers and decision-makers all united by the same ideal: to preserve our blue planet.
For it’s not just a question of saving coral reefs, but of saving our common future. And this school, this moment suspended in time, reminded me that we are all linked, all interdependent. Together, we can face the challenges that lie ahead and build a future where man and nature live in harmony.
Photos : Xavier Koenig and IRD
Governance of Monaco Explorations
Auriane Pertuisot, marine projects officer at the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, has been coordinating a coalition of donors dedicated to protecting the Mediterranean monk seal since 2019: the Monk Seal Alliance. In this post, she explains the coalition’s raison d’être, actions and results.
The Monk Seal Alliance is part of the circle of partners of the Missions Méditerranée des Explorations de Monaco. As part of its mission to educate and raise awareness, it participated in the design of the exhibition “Time for Action: Mediterranean Marine Areas”, inaugurated in Barcelona on April 9, 2024 for the 2nd meeting of the Decade of the Ocean.
Protecting the Mediterranean Monk Seal
Why the Monk Seal Alliance exists
The Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus, is one of the world’s most endangered marine mammal species.
With fewer than 900 individuals remaining, mainly distributed between Greece, Turkey and Cyprus in the Mediterranean, and Mauritania and Madeira in the Atlantic, its conservation is crucial for marine biodiversity.
The Monk Seal Alliance plays an important role in the protection of this emblematic species, supporting conservation projects and coordinating various initiatives on a regional scale.
Who is the Mediterranean Monk Seal?
The Mediterranean monk seal can measure up to 2.4 meters and weigh up to 320 kg.
Monk seal hunting was one of the first human pressures on this species.
Since ancient times, monk seals have been hunted for their skin, blubber and meat.
This intensive exploitation has considerably reduced their numbers.
Historically, seals mainly used beaches for resting and breeding.
However, they gradually adopted inaccessible sea caves, far from human activity, to find a little peace and quiet.
Today, the main threats to the species are habitat loss due to coastal construction and mass tourism, and accidental entanglement in fishing nets or deliberate killing.
The actions of the Monk Seal Alliance
- Habitat protection: MSA works with and supports governments and local NGOs to create and manage marine protected areas (MPAs).
If the organizations managing them have adequate human, technical and financial resources, these areas offer a safe haven for seals. - Monitoring and Research: The alliance funds research projects to learn about population characteristics, seal behavior, habitats and needs.
This information is crucial for understanding the threats they face and deducing conservation priorities. - Awareness and Education: Public awareness is essential for the long-term conservation of monk seals.
MSA supports educational campaigns to inform local communities and tourists about the importance of preserving this species. - Emergency response: In the case of injured or distressed seals, MSA can support organizations providing veterinary care before releasing them into a marine protected area.
Impact and results
Thanks to the efforts of the Monk Seal Alliance and its partners, several notable successes have been achieved.
Local seal populations are showing signs of recovery, and new marine protected areas have been established.
The latest global Red List assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature confirms an increase in the population.
International collaboration and local partnerships are at the heart of these successes, demonstrating the importance of a collective approach to marine wildlife conservation.
Auriane Pertuisot
Monk Seal Alliance coordinator since 2019. In charge of marine projects for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
In this post from June 7, 2024, Joana, Manon, Hortense and Gaël, 4th graders at the Lycée français de Barcelone, look back on their day at Barcelona’s Port Vell on April 8, 2024, a day during which they took part in several educational and awareness-raising workshops offered by Explorations de Monaco on the occasion of the second meeting of the Decade of the Ocean.
A day out of the ordinary...
On the afternoon of Monday April 8, 2024, our 4th grade class, one of three maritime classes at the Lycée Français de Barcelone, had the chance to discover the Société des Explorations de Monaco.
First port of call: guided tour and workshop on the “Time for Action: Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas” exhibition”
The exhibition was set up outdoors at Barcelona’s Port Vell.
The visit was an opportunity to learn about the current state of the Mediterranean, the dangers that threaten it and the importance of Marine Protected Areas for its protection and sustainable management.
It’s a sea rich in biodiversity, but particularly vulnerable: it contains 28% of endemic species, i.e. species that live only in this sea!
It’s an almost enclosed sea, in the middle of land, around which 522 million people live.
Imagine the pollution generated by discharges and waste, the intensity of tourism and maritime traffic!
This visit made us realize the extent to which global warming and human activity are having an impact on ecosystems such as coralligenous, posidonia and the open sea.
They affect underwater species such as turtles and groupers… Angela, our guide, made us realize that we humans are not the only ones suffering from global warming.
Other species are suffering just as much, if not more, than we are!
And we can do something to reverse the trend: for example, by developing Marine Protected Areas and making them more effective.
Today, 8.33% of the Mediterranean is protected, but only 0.04% of the waters benefit from strong protection.
A great deal of investment is still needed if we are to reach the 30% target by 2030, as the States have decided…
Second port of call: in the afternoon, we boarded the Tuiga, flagship of the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) .
We split into two groups.
One, with Didier, discovered the subtleties of seamanship and the living conditions of sailors.
The other, with Jean, learned about the incredible history of this regatta boat.
This magnificent racing yacht was built 115 years ago, in 1909, by Scottish architect William Fife III in Fairlie, on the west coast of Scotland.
Her first owner was the Marquis of Medinaceli, cousin of the King of Spain.
Of the 20 boats built on this model between 1908 and 1912, only three other identical yachts are still plying the seas: theHispania, owned by the King of Spain, the Mariska and The Lady Anne.
The Tuiga met up with the Mariska here at Barcelona’s Reial Club, where we were staying.
Portrait of a traditional sailing icon: the Tuiga
Jean, one of the sailors who looks after the yacht all year round, shared his secrets with us.
Its construction materials, teak and mahogany, make it weather-resistant.
The hull is 23 meters long.
Equipped with a bowsprit mast with a net to secure the sails and prevent the crew’s “number 1” from falling overboard, she has a trapezoidal sail and a sail in the shape of a right-angled triangle, called a jib: she has a sail area of 370 m3.
To go out to sea, a crew of around twenty sailors is required.
The yacht can go up to 25-30 knots, which corresponds to a speed of 30-40 km/hour, and has a draught of 26.07281844048 tons, the equivalent of 73.83 m3!
Thank you so much for this extraordinary experience, which for sure we’ll remember for the rest of our lives!
Joana, Manon, Hortense and Gaël
4th graders in maritime-oriented classes at the Lycée français de Barcelone.
Mediterranean missions partners
Governance of Monaco Explorations
In this post, Aude Jacomme, a teacher at the Lycée Français de Barcelone in charge of maritime classes, talks about the fruitful collaboration set up with Explorations de Monaco for the 2nd meeting of the Decade of the Ocean in Barcelona.
A look back at the organization and unfolding of a week rich in discoveries, initiating new projects and promising extensions.
A meeting that bears fruit...
The beginnings…
January 12, 2024, among the many emails received each day, one in particular catches my attention: “Ocean Decade Conference and maritime classes at the Lycée Français de Barcelone”…
Mail origin: Monaco Explorations ?
The 2nd Decade of the Ocean Conference…
The aim of these maritime classes is not only to make students aware of the various issues surrounding the conservation and sustainable management of the ocean, but also to open up new horizons in terms of professional fields, culture, knowledge and interpersonal skills.
Each time, the speakers who come to meet our students explain their career paths to raise awareness of training, studies and professions, some of which are extremely motivating.
We work with universities and research laboratories in physics, chemistry and marine biology.
We are also in contact with the Port of Barcelona for all matters relating to port activities, companies working in the marine economy and what is known as the “blue economy”.
And so, on January 12, 2024, when we opened this e-mail, the adventure began… And what an adventure it was!
Very quickly, a videoconference and weekly exchanges enabled us to share many ideas and determine how the Société des Explorations de Monaco could enrich our students’ careers.
A network of exchanges was established, and we enthusiastically shared contacts with our local partners.
Projects take shape…
March 2024, no more screens and written exchanges, it’s time to get to know each other.
Xavier Prache is in Barcelona for a few precious hours, during which we list the program proposed to our students.
A visit to Tuiga, exhibitions on Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas, exchanges between LFB families and members of the Société des Explorations de Monaco, an outing at sea for teachers, a meeting between our maritime ambassadors and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco… Just thinking about all these wonderful experiences on offer to our students and their teachers made me “le corazon contento” as the Spanish say.
So many opportunities!
The long-awaited week is about to begin…
April 2024, after a week of intense daily exchanges, we’re finally there – everything’s ready!
We met the rest of the team, who had exchanged so much beforehand that we felt we already knew each other.
What a team!
A warm and thoughtful welcome, all our maritime stakes classes were able to discover the interactive exhibition on Marine Protected Areas, accompanied by one of the team members who was able to teach them about this concept with a lot of pedagogy.
They also met members of the Tuiga crew, from deckhand to captain!
From the bowline to the fisherman’s knot, they now know how to do it with their eyes closed and their hands behind their backs.
They discovered a rather unique boat in terms of its history and the living conditions of sailors during regattas.
One of our sailing enthusiasts also met the crew of the sister ship Mariska.
Our students were immersed in maritime issues at the highest level, and understood that the Ocean was the concern of the years to come: better knowledge for better protection!
They still talk about it today with stars in their eyes every time they walk through the door of our classrooms.
They feel concerned, involved and responsible.
That’s what this kind of project is all about.
So it’s safe to say: mission accomplished!
The adventure continues
June 2024; the next stage in our collaboration, but the adventure doesn’t end here!
That’s the magic of this great joint project.
The Marine Protected Areas exhibition has remained in Barcelona at the Lycée Français.
Our students are getting ready to present it to primary school children, but also to other schools in the area.
In French, English, Catalan and Spanish, whatever language they use, they’ll get the message across.
Thanks again to the Monaco explorations team for this wonderful experience, which will remain engraved in the memory of the Lycée Français de Barcelone.
Aude JACOMME
Teacher at the Lycée Français de Barcelone.
In charge of maritime classes.
Mediterranean missions partners
Governance of Monaco Explorations
April 9, 2024.
On the eve of the announcement of the Mediterranean Missions in Barcelona, as part of the second meeting of the Decade of the Ocean, Xavier Prache sets the scene, looks ahead to the next missions and measures the progress already made since his arrival on September 1, 2023 at the head of Explorations de Monaco.
Off we go!
This is it!
April 9, 2024.
The announcement of Monaco’s Mediterranean Explorations Missions!
Barely 7 months after taking the helm of this singular platform, entirely dedicated to serving H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco’s commitment to the knowledge, sustainable management and protection of the Ocean, I find myself in Barcelona.
From the terrace of the apartment rented for the occasion, the Explorations team’s HQ for this baptism of fire, I contemplate the Port Vell and its promenade, where the travelling exhibition on Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, entitled“Time for Action“, has been installed for the past few days.
This formidable mediation tool is the result of a lot of hard work, carried out with our partners for the occasion.
Everything is ready, or seems to be!
The team worked for it!
Before me, Gilles Bessero, former director of Explorations de Monaco, had charted the course.
As a good ship’s captain, I followed it, making sure that every member of the crew was ready for the big day.
And here we are!
The first mediation activities began the day before with classes from the Lycée Français de Barcelone, including the 4th grade class with ” maritime issues“.
The students are already motivated and committed, to become tomorrow’s ambassadors for the Mediterranean to their classmates and families, and the day after tomorrow to their children, in turn, and to their colleagues in their professional lives.
They are lively, interested and curious, with the insolence that youth still allows: the challenges facing the Mediterranean in general, and the Marine Protected Areas in particular, are nourished by this youth, this strength, this hope for the future.
Time for Action
The Mediterranean is a nugget of biodiversity, representing less than 1% of the total surface area of the oceans.
Yet it is home to 8% of the world’s marine species and 28% of endemic species.
This sea in the middle of the earth needs our joint commitment, all generations, strengths and skills united, if the ambitious targets set in 2022 in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework are to have any chance of being approached: 30% of the Mediterranean duly conserved and managed by 2030!
It’s time for action.
For months, the team has been working on the events that will mark the announcement day.
But we’re not alone: the co-organizers of these events, MedPAN, SPA/RAC, The MedFund and the Monk Seal Alliance, have been supporting us from the outset.
Our institutional partners too, the Princely Government, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Oceanographic Institute, the Monaco Scientific Centre, and the Yacht Club de Monaco, thanks to whom we are fortunate enough to be accompanied to Barcelona by Tuiga, the Principality of Monaco’s heritage sailboat.
No, we’re not alone, and we’re even privileged to be able to count on the presence of the Sovereign Prince at each of our satellite events.
What other state in the world can boast such a commitment, on a daily basis, to the benefit of the Ocean, and here in particular the Mediterranean Sea?
The stage is set for Missions Méditerranée.
And for a long time to come!
Just imagine: 7 years of missions all around the Mediterranean, serving marine protected areas and their managers.
Barcelona will be followed in October 2024 by the first Mediterranean Missions mission, the launch mission, to Greece!
5 weeks in which we look forward to coming back to you to share the Principality of Monaco’s commitment…
Onwards and upwards!
Set course for the Mediterranean and its marine protected areas!
Xavier PRACHE
Director of Explorations in Monaco.
Xavier PRACHE succeeded Gilles BESSERO on September 1, 2023.
