MARBEC Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary: Art and Science at the Heart of the Ocean

"A Great Ape's Little Kitchen" (Theater, Anne-Gaëlle Jourdain & Yann Tremblay), followed by "Marine Biodiversity: What's Left on Our Plates?" (Scientific Lecture by Eva Maire - IRD, Marbec)

June 23, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
163 Auguste Broussonet Street, Charles Flahault Lecture Hall

An evening blending art and science, combining socially conscious theater with enlightening science, exploring our connection to the natural world and the role of marine biodiversity in the human diet.

Salacious Tales: Strange Love Affairs in the Deep (Eloquence, Bill François), followed by “Fish Sex: There’s No End in Sight” (Scientific Lecture, Benjamin Geffroy – Ifremer, Marbec)

June 25, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
163 Auguste Broussonet Street, Charles Flahault Lecture Hall

Combining humor, the mysteries of nature, and science, this evening explores the strange love lives of marine creatures, where sex takes on unexpected and fascinating forms.

700 Sharks in the Night (Film), followed by “Have the 700 Sharks Revealed All Their Secrets?” (Scientific Lecture, Johann Mourier – UM, Marbec)

June 30, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
163 Auguste Broussonet Street, Charles Flahault Lecture Hall

A spectacular dive into the heart of one of the largest shark gatherings ever filmed, followed by exclusive scientific insights that shed light on the still-hidden secrets of these fascinating fish, which are also the oceans’ apex predators.

Cetaceans Harmony: A musical conference at the heart of acoustic innovation dedicated to dolphin conservation (Stéphanie Elbaz, musician, and Bastien Mérigot – UM, Marbec)

July 2, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
163 Auguste Broussonet Street, Charles Flahault Lecture Hall

A unique event combining a scientific lecture with classical music to raise awareness about dolphin conservation. Through a live piano performance by an internationally renowned concert pianist, the musical pieces interact with the scientific concepts presented, offering an immersive listening experience. This convergence of art and science reveals the deep connection between humans and marine life.

Art and Science at the Heart of the Ocean

June 21–July 6
1:00 PM–7:00 PM
Jardin des Plantes – Orangerie, Boulevard Henri IV, Montpellier

For all ages

Open to the general public, this exhibition offers an artistic and scientific immersion into the heart of marine biodiversity. Twenty-seven photographs of marine biodiversity, taken by scientists from the UMR MARBEC, are displayed along the path through the botanical garden.

This tour leads to the Orangerie, where paintings by Françoise Dagorn and sculptures by Laurent Yvelin are on display, each inspired by the richness of the marine world. The artists will be present throughout the exhibition to interact with visitors.

Artistic and scientific perspectives on seafood.

“Seafood Platter : How Small Fish Have Changed Humanity” (Eloquence, Bill François) followed by “From the Sea to the Plate: DNA Reveals the Invisible” (Scientific Lecture, Sophie Arnaud-Haond – Ifremer, Marbec)

 June 24, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Michèle Weil University Center, Place Victor Hugo, Sète

A thoughtful and insightful exploration of what ends up on our plates and the—sometimes unexpected—role that marine biodiversity plays in it: ranging from a poetic account of the influence of fish on human history to a scientific lecture that uses DNA analysis to reveal exactly which seafood products we’re actually consuming.

"Effet mer" (Improvisational Theater, Very Impro People), followed by " “Plastic in the Ocean Is No Fun” (Scientific Lecture, Xavier Cousin – INRAe, Marbec)

 June 27, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Michèle Weil University Center, Place Victor Hugo, Sète

An evening filled with humor and reflection: the actors from Very Impro People will improvise with the audience on the theme of the ocean, followed by a talk shedding light on the impacts of plastic in the ocean, particularly on marine life.

Art Awareness & Oyster Farming Waste (Visual Arts, Yannick Robert) followed by “Small Things, Big Effects: The Pond Is Changing” (Scientific Lecture, Ariane Atteia & Franck Lagarde – CNRS, Ifremer, Marbec)

July¹, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Michèle Weil University Center, Place Victor Hugo, Sète

An evening exploring the connections between artistic creation and ecological transformation, featuring an exhibition of artworks created from waste collected from the Thau Lagoon and a scientific lecture on the recent ecological changes affecting the Thau Lagoon.

Folk Sea Shanties (Concert, Le Tre Sorelle) followed by “Listening to the Fish and the Sea” (Scientific Lecture, Frédéric Bertucci – IRD, Marbec)

July 4, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Michèle Weil University Center, Place Victor Hugo, Sète

An evening blending art and science, featuring the resonant sounds of sea shanties performed by a trio of sisters from Southern Italy who carry on a traditional repertoire of folk songs (Canzone di lavoro), alongside a captivating lecture on the mysterious sounds produced by the fish in our seas.

Art and Science at the Heart of the Ocean – SETE

June 21–July 6
, Pôle Universitaire Michèle Weil, Place Victor Hugo, Sète

For all ages – Free admission

On display in Victor Hugo Square, across from the Michèle Weil University Center building, 45 photographs taken by scientists from the MARBEC Joint Research Unit showcase marine biodiversity around the world.

In the Michèle Weil University Center building, which was open to the public during the four evenings of the "Art and Science at the Heart of the Ocean" event, Sarah Thiriet’s exhibition "Inspiration Murex" features sculptures inspired by the diverse forms of marine biodiversity.