Yacht Class n°44 (March-April-may 2026)
The Explorations of Monaco have completed the first stage of their Mediterranean Missions cycle (2025–2030). Departing from the Principality on 25th September, this forty-day expedition aboard a hybrid catamaran combined scientific research, environmental diplomacy, and public awareness. A look back at a pioneering mission.
Text : Anaïs Riu – Photos : Les Explorations de Monaco / Maéva Bardy
The Mediterranean is undergoing profound changes. Warming waters, invasive species, micro plastic pollution – these are challenges that require a coordinated response. “Supporting initiatives, uniting stakeholders, pooling resources, explaining, taking action on the ground, contributing to the dissemination of knowledge,” summarizes the mission leader, Xavier Prache, describing an approach where mediation, science, and action converge toward a common goal.
The MODX 70-01: A showcase of maritime ecological transition
This sail and electric-powered catamaran represents the new generation of exploration tools. Equipped with Aeroforce® inflatable wings, solar panels, hydro-generators, and built with recyclable materials, she demonstrates quiet and efficient navigation, perfectly suited for coastal environmental monitoring. Over forty days, she sailed the Greek waters – Athens, Alonissos, Volos, Syros – with around thirty researchers, mediators, and artists on board, carrying out eight research programmes on habitat connectivity, invasive species, and pollution.
Encouraging scientific results
The Cystoseira forests showed widespread degradation, except at Piperi, in the heart of the Alonissos Marine Protected Area. “Protection is paying off,” notes the MAR4PAST team. The EXOFISH-MED programme identified seven exotic species that arrived via the Suez Canal. The two BGC-Argo floats deployed in the Ionian Sea now monitor the water column down to 2,000 metres. Studies on micro plastics, plankton analysis, and data collection via Sailing Box complete a rich harvest of information. More than a hundred samples have enhanced knowledge of Mediterranean ecosystems, a reminder that 80% of the seabed remains to be explored.
An extraordinary encounter with the monk seal
On 9th October 2025, Prince Albert II arrived in Alonissos aboard the MODX 70-01. Sailing along the caves of Skopelos, he observed from a distance a female monk seal and her pup – a rare moment highlighting the fragility of this iconic species.Onshore, the Sovereign met with teams from the Marine National Park, researchers, associations, and fishermen engaged in marine protection. Discussions focused on climate challenges and strengthening dialogue between Monaco and Greece. “Building a Mediterranean of knowledge and action”: this visit confirmed a shared vision in which environmental diplomacy becomes a tangible lever for change.
Scientific mediation at the heart of the project
Scientific excellence alone is not enough without outreach. The mission implemented an ambitious educational program aimed at “putting science at the service of the public and engaging younger generations.” The exhibition “The Time for Action – Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas”, inaugurated on 3rd October in Athens, launched the awareness-raising activities. The stops along the route allowed for educational workshops bringing together hundreds of students. The “Eau Vivante et Mer Méditerranée” programmes offered an immersive experience into marine ecosystems. In Alonissos, a workshop brought together fishermen, park rangers, and associations, highlighting the importance of collective management. In Volos, technology demonstrations – drones, sensors, and modelling – introduced students and managers to new observation methods. The Nice-based start-up Cosma mapped the seabed of the Pagasetic Gulf using its underwater drone.
Heading towards the Mediterranean future
Mission Greece 2025 lays the foundations for a cycle focused on innovation and cooperation. By providing ecological monitoring tools and sharing proven methodologies, it strengthens the governance of Marine Protected Areas in a tangible way. Observe to understand, share to raise awareness, convince through action: a successful first step that heralds a decisive decade for this sea that connects us all.
