Oceano Monaco

Yes : you just have to send your request directly to the shop via the contact form, which you will find at this address :

The Museum is open to visitors 9 months to 99 years of age!

Only level -1 is accessible via the stairs. The other floors and rooms in the Musuem are accessible by lift.

No, including small dogs in transport bags. Only guide dogs for the blind are allowed. We do not have a kennel; there is however one that can look after your pet only a few metres from the Museum.

You can choose how to organise your day. The Palace is 5 minutes’ walk from the Museum.

No, and e-tickets may also not be purchased by giving the reference of the holiday vouchers.

Yes, absolutely. Just present a legible display of your ticket (bar code) on the screen of your device at the Museum entrance.

Yes. To save time, you can buy your tickets from the Oceanographic Museum website. You won’t even have to queue up! Purchases are by secure transaction and by credit card. Tickets are valid for the date selected only. You can download your ticket to your smartphone or print it out. N.B. we do not send e-tickets by post.

Entry is free for Monaco residents, on presentation of proof of address, and for children up to the age of 4. Proof should also be provided for children where possible.

The Les Pêcheurs car park is the closest (take the lifts) and rates vary depending on the day.

Various institutions involved in the knowledge and protection of the oceans (Oceanographic Institute, Scientific Centre of Monaco, Prince Albert II Foundation, Explorations de Monaco) have combined forces to raise public awareness and act in favour of the survival of coral reefs. High-level scientific research, organization of symposiums, political influence, mobilization of the media, financing of NGO projects… The actions are numerous.

Corals host microalgae, called zooxanthellae, in their tissues. They are the ones that give the corals their colors. Depending on the pigments they contain, corals abhor pretty hues ranging from orange brown to purple.

When the algae are stressed, they are expelled by the coral and it is then that their transparent tissues reveal the white skeleton. This stress is caused either by bacteria or viruses (the corals are then sick) or by pollutants, or by the rise in temperature of the sea water.

Corals belong to the large family of Cnidaria, which includes marine invertebrates that have stinging cells such as jellyfish, gorgonians and sea anemones. Corals do not only live in tropical seas. Under the name coral, we find different species, some of which live in the Mediterranean. In particular the famous red coral, the one whose skeleton is used to make magnificent jewellery.

A Marine Protected Area (or MPA) is a delimited area at sea that meets the objectives of nature protection (fauna, flora, ecosystems) and the sustainable development of economic activities such as sustainable fishing and responsible tourism

Some coral species are being studied to better understand calcification or the spread of disease, while others are being studied for their molecules that protect against sunlight or aging. Corals are the basis of many research projects to find tomorrow’s drugs or cosmetics or to understand how certain diseases are formed.

Like all animals, coral reproduces sexually (by releasing sperm and eggs) but also asexually (by taking cuttings like a plant)! Let’s discover the mysterious reproduction of corals.

Unlike many marine species (salmon, sea bass, sea bream), the aquaculture of large tunas is not perfectly mastered and continues to be the subject of extensive experimentation in several countries (Australia, Japan, Europe) in order to carry out the complete cycle of farming over several generations, with a view to eliminating catches at sea and maximising profits.

Bluefin tuna are caught by trawl, hook (handline, troll, longline) or in “traps” (fixed traps near the coast) but they are mostly caught by tuna seiners. In the Mediterranean, more than 90% of bluefin tuna catches are made using this method. These hypersophisticated, powerful and fast industrial fishing vessels (speeding at 16 knots or 50 km/h) are capable of detecting shoals thanks to state-of-the-art electronics (radar, sonar).

In the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas (including the Mediterranean), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) which is in charge of the conservation and sustainable exploitation of all tuna species and other pelagic commercial species living in the area (swordfish, marlin, sharks).

In the 2015 European Red List of Marine Fishes compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Atlantic bluefin tuna is listed as Near Threatened. Overfishing and overcapacity of fishing fleets are the main cause of the depletion of bluefin tuna.

Bluefin tuna is one of the most commercially valuable fish species. The management of bluefin tuna fisheries has long been a symbol of the international community’s difficulty in sustainably managing this rare and fragile resource. Industry professionals and conservation groups are trying to organize themselves to preserve stocks.

Are there any whales in the Mediterranean? The answer is yes! There are several thousand whales living in the waters of the Mediterranean. It is even not uncommon to see their breath from far away, on crossings to Corsica, for example. Take note, however: human activity is a source of disturbance for this giant mammals,

Which sea turtles live in the Mediterranean? 6 marine turtles are present in the Mediterranean The Mediterranean has 46,000 km of coastline and covers 2.5 million km2 , or less than 1% of the total ocean surface. Well known as a global biodiversity hotspot, it is home to six of the seven species of marine

Mediterranean red tuna: towards an improvement? Red tuna is one of the most sought-after fish commercially. Managing red tuna fishing has for a long time been symbolic of the international community’s difficulty in managing this rare and fragile resource sustainably.Industry professionals and protection associations are striving to get organised in order to preserve stocks.