The Ocean Protection Village is co-sponsored by Océanopolis Acts and West France . During the Maritime Festival, this village will be the place to meet many actors who fight, every day, for the preservation of the ocean. Many awareness-raising actions will also be put in place. One objective: to bring together all those who work every day to preserve the Ocean and raise awareness of current issues.
“A shock absorber for climate change”
The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth. Its protection is a common issue as it is “a formidable buffer against climate change”, as the president of the National Museum of Natural History, Bruno David, recalls in an interview published in the special issue Océan.
Avalanche of plastic flows into the ocean
And the challenge is enormous as an avalanche of plastics descends into the ocean. In an interview, journalist Dorothée Moisan takes stock of an industry that has not planned for “turn off the taps”. According to her, in Ocean the amount of plastic dumped into the ocean is expected to double by 2050. It is already known that between 23 and 37 million tonnes of plastic will be dumped into the ocean each year by 2040.
A great witness: Roland Jourdain
One of the village’s big guests is the Explore Fund. Led by skipper Roland Jourdain – founder of Kaïros, the offshore racing team, and Explore, the start-up incubator dedicated to sustainable marine initiatives – this Fund supports initiatives around maritime innovations and marine ecosystems such as Under The Pole, Captain Darwin, Low Tech Lab and Plastic Odyssey… The boat We Explorean eco-designed catamaran with 50% linen fibers will be in Brest during the Maritime Festival.
“A sentinel watching over the ocean”
The Surfrider Foundation will also be present. This association was founded in 1990 by a group of surfing friends, including triple world champion Tom Curren, and is now a key player in the fight to defend the oceans, their biodiversity and their users. Spotlight on this “sentinel that watches over the ocean”.
Being at the service of scientific research
Another proposal on the village: the Plankton Objective. Indeed, each year, in Brittany, around fifty boaters put their boats at the service of scientific research. By collecting seawater samples, they provide valuable data for the study of coastal plankton. This program is supported by Océanopolis.
