The Endoume Marine Station: A Century and a Half of Exploration

For 150 years, scientists in Marseille have explored the mysteries of the marine environment. These researchers have not only deepened our understanding of marine ecosystems but have also conducted a detailed inventory of the species living there. Their work is not limited to diving in the Mediterranean; it also extends to underwater caves in tropical and polar waters during multi-week scientific campaigns. Knowing and naming marine biological diversity is their motto.

An oceanographic mission in Polynesia

After a month of sailing through a dozen Pacific islands, Marie Grenier and Thierry Perez returned to Marseille last October. Their expedition allowed them to bring back thousands of photos, data, and samples. Marie, a doctoral student at Aix-Marseille University, accompanied Thierry, a CNRS research director at the Endoume marine station (SME). This station, created at the end of the 19th century by naturalist Antoine-Fortuné Marion and zoologist Paul Gourret, is today a cornerstone of oceanographic research in the Mediterranean.