Yacht Class n°41 (June-July-August 2025)

At the end of March, Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum inaugurated a new exhibition that takes young and old to the heart of the Mediterranean to discover what is being done – and needs to be done – to preserve it.

Written by : Aurore Teodoro
Photos : Frédéric Pacorel / Institut océanographique de Monaco, Michael Alesi / Palais Princier

The Oceanographic Museum is returning to its roots with its new exhibition. After having explored the poles, the institution, which is based on Le Rocher, is this time interested in the Grande Bleue, which lies at its feet. An ecosystem threatened, like the rest of the planet, by climate change and human pollution. “The exhibition is part of a wider programme devoted to the Mediterranean, which also includes a more global survey of marine protected areas and a number of political initiatives in their favour. The Explorations of Monaco will also be focusing on this area from September onwards,” explains Pierre-Antoine Gérard, curator in charge of heritage and exhibitions at the Oceanographic Institute. An immersive exhibition covering more than 1,000 m2, “Méditerranée 2050” takes visitors on a journey through time to discover the Mediterranean. Four rooms, four atmospheres. It all begins with a four-metre-high sperm whale. Short videos are projected onto this mammal, the emblem of the exhibition, providing a wealth of information on this semi-enclosed sea, the largest in the world, since its geological formation 35 million years ago. “We take a look at the Mediterranean as a crossroads for culture, civilisation, trade and cultural exchanges… It is under pressure like nowhere else in terms of tourism, fishing, pollution, maritime traffic, etc.” develops Pierre-Antoine Gérard. Head for the time portal that opens onto the Oceano Monaco room, a testament to the Principality’s commitment to the seas and oceans. The starting point: 1885, the year of Prince Albert I^st‘s very first expedition. On the mezzanine, the monk seal, Mona, takes visitors on a journey through illuminated panels highlighting the Monegasque players working to protect the sea. “This space was created in collaboration with them. We chose to highlight their concrete actions that could speak to the general public,” explains Lise Irlandes, exhibition and heritage officer. 21 institutions have responded to the Museum’s appeal. The room also houses a “Serious Game”, a virtual game on eight screens where visitors become managers of marine protected areas. “Each time, the player has to make the right decisions to maintain the good health of the natural ecosystems”, explains the curator.

An optimistic outlook

Because the ambition is to show what the Mediterranean could look like if the “30 x 30” target of the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework, which aims to protect 30% of land and oceans by 2030, were achieved. And to this end, there is nothing better than the next leap forward in time. To 2050. Aboard the Oceano Odyssey, a virtual futuristic scientific submersible, we are immersed for the duration of an expedition in the Pelagos sanctuary. “The scientists‘ mission is to check that the marine protected area is functioning properly, that the ecosystems have regenerated and that biodiversity has returned to the biomass… that all the cursors are in the green, because in 2025, we have set ourselves the target of 30×30”, explains Pierre-Antoine Gérard, before adding: “The aim is to give hope to the public, so that they can realise that everything is still possible and that we can achieve this result, if we all pull together”. This 16-minute immersion, made possible by 310 m2 of projection surface and 27 projectors, required more than 18 months of work to ensure the coherence of the scenario and the movements of the marine species, and two months of editing. This optimistic approach, which stands out against the current alarmist backdrop, is designed to encourage people to take action. And that is what the last room is all about. With the help of interactive panels, visitors can find out how they can make a difference at their own level through simple, practical actions such as choosing a responsible sun cream or collecting their rubbish. Individual choices are complemented by solutions aimed at the economic sphere and public authorities. “This allows us to say to people: “You are part of the solution, but you won’t be able to do everything on your own. With the Oceanographic Institute, when you get involved, you can show that to elected representatives and businesses so that they too can take action.” The idea is that together, we’ll be more effective”, explains Pierre-Antoine Gérard. The legend of the Hummingbird…