The Musée de la Mer takes action to protect the environment and species
Stocking the aquariums
The Musée de la Mer Aquarium of Biarritz is committed to protecting marine species. Indeed, the museum has a very strict policy with regards to stocking its aquariums and has chosen to work with companies that are able to supply animals which are either farm-reared or come from integrated fisheries.
Member of the CRISP (Coral Reef Initiatives for the Pacific) programme, the museum is campaigning for the conservation of coral reef biodiversity.
Over the last few decades, 25% of coral reefs have been destroyed and the rest have, for the most part, been somewhat damaged. In the natural environment, 90% of the larva do not survive. We did not, therefore, want to take specimens from the remaining 10% of adult fish.
As far as the corals are concerned, a large number was obtained through our partnership with Honduras, famous for its Caribbean coral barrier reef. This partnership provides for monitoring programmes to be set up and the sustainable development of species.
Research
The scientific team at the Musée de la Mer Aquarium of Biarritz gathers data on stranded marine mammals and transmits this data to the Marine Mammal Research Center in La Rochelle (CRMMR).
The museum also participates in :
- research work on the reproduction of species presented in the aquarium, in association with other aquariums in France and Spain.
- research work, inventories and monitoring of species and biotopes, in association with the Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, INRA, IFREMER and the Centre de la Mer côte basque.
The Centre de la Mer
The Centre de la Mer of Biarritz participates in the ERMMA (Environnement et Ressources des Milieux Marins Aquitains) programme on the marine environment and resources in Aquitaine by carrying out multidisciplinary biological monitoring in the marine environment in the region.
These data are essential in the understanding of the richness of our environment and enable studies on the development of ecosystems and causes of change (natural evolution, climatic change, impact of pollution...) to be carried out.
Monitoring actions are carred out on sea birds, cetaceans (both at sea and beached specimens), benthic stock, and fish as well as atmospheric and oceanic data.
For more information click on www.ermma.fr.
The Centre de la Mer of Biarritz also plays an intermediary role in our knowledge of the oceans and coastal risks in order to prevent the latter if necessary.
These risks arise from different situations : erosion due to the tides, currents or swell, human activities, atmospheric, climatic and geophysical conditions...
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