Oceanographic Museum

The Oceanographic Museum (Musée Océanographique) is a museum of marine sciences in Monaco-Ville, Monaco. It is home to the Mediterranean Science Commission.

History

The Oceanographic Museum was inaugurated in 1910 by Monaco's modernist reformer, Prince Albert I.

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

Overview

This monumental architectural work of art has an impressive façade above the sea, towering over the sheer cliff face to a height of 279 feet (85.04 m). It took 11 years to build, using 100,000 tons of stone from La Turbie.

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.) both stuffed and in skeletal form. The museum's holdings also include a great variety of sea related objects, including model ships, sea animal skeletons, tools, weapons, etc.

The permanent exhibition, 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.

Caulerpa taxifolia

In 1989, French marine biologist Alexandre Meinesz discovered a patch of a giant, tropical seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia directly under the walls of the museum. Several documentaries point to this patch as the origin of one of the largest seaweed contaminations of the Mediterranean Sea in recent history. The role of the museum and its director, François Doumenge when the discovery was made public is still heavily debated.

References

Шаблон:Reflist

External links

Шаблон:Commons category

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Eduardo J. Navarro
11 August 2014
Incredible place! If you're planning a trip to Monaco, this is a place that you definitely have to visit. In the aquarium, ask for the hours that they feed the piranhas, it's amazing
Amit Gaharwar
17 May 2015
Great collection of marine life. The museum on the first floor is fabulous. Do see the skeletons handing from the floor. The submarine built by the prince is a marvel.
Theresa Walenta
19 June 2016
The terrace has a nice view overlooking Monaco and a gorgeous turtle mosaic. Plus there are turtles living up there, you can even pet them, when they are outside!
Krisztián Vértes
8 September 2015
Beautifully designed set of aquariums in a georgeous building up on the hill! One of the highlights in Monte Carlo and they have sharks!
Nikolay Gvozdevskiy
20 June 2015
Great museum! The must in your Monaco tour. The building itself is amazing. Everything's done with love. The permanent collection is average but aquarium is the best I've seen ever.
Marina Burity
11 May 2015
I didn't expect to like it so much, but it's a great program for all people. There's a good restaurant on the top floor. Try to see the back part. of the building from the sea level, it's gorgeous
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