Marbec Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary: Art and Science at the Heart of the Ocean
The Marbec Laboratory (MARine Biodiversity, Exploitation & Conservation), dedicated to the study of marine biodiversity and its uses, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025. To mark the occasion, Marbec is presenting “Art and Science at the Heart of the Ocean,” a special program open to everyone. On the agenda: exhibitions of photography, paintings, and sculptures, as well as eight art and science evenings held in Montpellier and Sète, bringing together the perspectives of scientists and artists on issues related to marine biodiversity.
An opening night to kick off these two weeks under the banner “The Sea We Share – Year of the Sea”
By invitation only
The festivities will kick off on Friday, June 20, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., at the Orangery of the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier. During this invitation-only opening night, a retrospective of Marbec’s 10 years of scientific progress as well as a look ahead to the next 10 years will be presented. The full program of events taking place between June 21 and July 6, 2025, in Montpellier and Sète—which will facilitate encounters between researchers, artists, and the general public—will also be unveiled.
The inauguration will take place in the presence of François Houillier, President and CEO of Ifremer; Valérie Verdier, President and CEO of IRD; Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier; Laurent Barbieri, Regional Representative of the CNRS; Laurent Dagorn, Jean-Marc Fromentin, Patricia Cucchi, and Jean-Christophe Auguet, members of the UMR Marbec management team.
10 Years of Dedicated Ocean Research
Since its founding in 2015, Marbec has been bringing together research on marine biodiversity, its conservation, and its interactions with human activities. These past ten years have been marked by major scientific contributions at the local, Mediterranean, and international levels. Understanding marine ecosystems, analyzing the impacts of climate change, studying fishery resources, and supporting sustainable management policies are among the challenges addressed by Marbec’s teams.
Marbec: a research unit with an international reputation
Marbec is a Joint Research Unit Research UMR 9190) jointly administered by the University of Montpellier, the CNRS, the IRD, Ifremer, and INRAE. Based primarily in Sète and Montpellier, the unit brings together more than 300 scientists whose shared mission is to explore, understand, and preserve marine biodiversity in order to better reconcile environmental conservation with the sustainable use of marine resources.
Highlights to celebrate marine biodiversity
From June 21 to July 6, 2025, the “Art and Science at the Heart of the Ocean” program will feature a series of eight themed evenings at the Charles Flahault Amphitheater (Institute of Botany, Rue A. Broussonnet, Montpellier) and the Michèle Weil University Center (Place Victor Hugo, Sète). Each evening will bring together artists and scientists to explore a specific theme (plastic pollution, coral reefs, sustainable fishing, etc.). Over the course of these evenings, a wide range of artistic expressions will be explored: theater, music, song, film, visual arts, and even a public speaking champion with Bill François. At the same time, scientists from Marbec will present the results of their latest research, ranging from DNA to large marine mammals.
This two-week event dedicated to marine biodiversity, titled “La Mer en Commun” by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, will also take place at the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier. From Tuesday through Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., visitors will be able to explore an exhibition of photographs taken in the field by Marbec scientists, as well as paintings and sculptures by two artists from the Academy of Arts and Sciences of the Sea, who will be at the Orangerie to share their perspectives and artistic approaches.
In Sète, an exhibition of photographs by Marbec scientists on Place Victor Hugo will extend this immersive experience, while attendees at the art-science evenings will be able to explore the work of a visual artist who has explored marine themes right within the Michèle Weil University Center.
With this celebration, Marbec is reaffirming its commitment more than ever: to foster dialogue between science and the arts in order to raise awareness among as many people as possible about the challenges of marine conservation.
