The Oceanographic Museum (''Musée océanographique'') is a museum of marine sciences in Monaco-Ville, Monaco. This building is part of the

Institut océanographique The () is an ocean education organization based in Monaco. The institute manages two ocean museums (in Monaco and Paris) and lobbies globally for the preservation of the oceans' ecology. History The Institut océanographique was founded in 1906 b ...

, which is committed to sharing its knowledge of the oceans.

History

The Oceanographic Museum was inaugurated in 1910 by Monaco's modernist reformer, Prince Albert I. who invited to the celebrations not just high officials and celebrities but also the world-leading oceanographers of the day to develop the concept of a future Mediterranean Commission dedicated to oceanography, now called

Mediterranean Science Commission The Mediterranean Science Commission, or CIESM, (French: ''Commission Internationale pour l'Exploration Scientifique de la Méditerranée'') unites 24 Member States, hundreds of marine Institutes, and thousands of marine researchers from all sho ...

. Jacques-Yves Cousteau was director from 1957 to 1988. The Museum celebrated its centenary in March 2010, after extensive renovations.

Overview

The museum is home to exhibitions and collections of various species of sea fauna (starfish, seahorses, turtles, jellyfish, crabs, lobsters, rays, sharks, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, eels, cuttlefish etc.). The museum's holdings also include a great variety of sea related objects, including model ships, sea animal skeletons, tools, weapons etc., as well as a collection of material culture and ritual objects made from, or integrating materials such as pearls, molluscs and nacre. At the first floor, ''A Sailor’s Career'' showcases the work of Prince Albert I. It includes the laboratory from ''L’Hirondelle'', the first of Prince Albert's research yachts. Observations made there led to an understanding of the phenomenon of anaphylaxis, for which Dr Charles Richet received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1913. An aquarium in the basement of the museum presents a wide array of flora and fauna. Four thousand species of fish and over 200 families of invertebrates can be seen. The aquarium also features a presentation of Mediterranean and tropical marine ecosystems. Numerous artists display their artworks in the museum, such as Damien Hirst and

Philippe Pasqua Philippe Pasqua (born 15 June 1965) is a French contemporary artist, known for his paintings, sculptures and drawings. Self-taught and (solitary),. he is best known for his paintings of Vanitas and considered one of the major artists of his gen ...

Architecture

This monumental example of highly charged Baroque Revival architecture has an impressive façade above the sea, towering over the sheer cliff face to a height of 279 feet (85.04 m). It took eleven years to build, using 100,000 tons of stone from La Turbie. During construction, the names of twenty well-known oceanographic research vessels personally selected by Prince Albert I were inscribed into the frieze of the museum's façade.

Oceanographic research vessels inscribed on façade

''Caulerpa taxifolia''

In 1989, a French marine biologist discovered a patch of a giant, tropical seaweed ''

Caulerpa taxifolia ''Caulerpa taxifolia'' is a species of green seaweed, an alga of the genus ''Caulerpa'', native to tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Caribbean Sea. The species name ''taxifolia'' arises from the resemblance of its leaf-like ...

'' directly under the walls of the museum. The actual source and extent of this exotic introduction remain a matter of controversy.

Gallery

File:Aquarium Piranhas.jpg, Aquarium with Piranhas File:Sea turtle Monaco.jpg, Sea turtle File:Nautilus Monaco.jpg, Nautilus File:Monaco Oceanographic Museum 01.jpg, Central room of the top floor

References

External links

Official website (in French)(in English)Guide to visiting the Museum
{{Authority control Natural history museums Oceanography Museums in Monaco 1910 establishments in Monaco Monaco-Ville Museums established in 1910