Race For Water, the City of Marseille, and GIS Posidonie join forces to protect the Mediterranean

Race For Water: Announcing first stop in Marseille © Race For Water

First stop in Marseille for the Mediterranean campaign of the Ocean and Climate Odyssey, organized by Race For Water, aiming to raise awareness among the general public, schoolchildren, and businesses about the importance of ocean preservation.

From May 12 to 16, the City of Marseille will welcome the crew and their revolutionary new vessel, the MODX70, for a series of unique encounters with a wide audience.

The catamaran will be moored at the Ponton d'Honneur in the Old Port, in front of City Hall.

A third Odyssey in service of the Ocean and the Climate

Race For Water renews its commitment to the Ocean and the Climate, setting sail once again aboard a new ambassador vessel: the MODX 70, an innovative catamaran with zero polluting or noise emissions.

This new expedition aims to deepen the crucial links between the Ocean and the climate, notably through a scientific mission dedicated to strengthening the monitoring of Posidonia seagrass meadows in the South of France.

A scientific mission to monitor the evolution Posidonia

This mission, called the "Posidonia Mission" is carried out in partnership with GIS Posidonie and supported by the French Office for Biodiversity. Its goal is to gather up-to-date knowledge on the state of Posidonia seagrass meadows, particularly at their lower depth limit.

Posidonia is a marine plant that is vital to the balance of the Mediterranean. It plays a key role in preserving the marine ecosystem by sheltering rich biodiversity, filtering water, protecting coastlines from erosion, and helping to combat climate change thanks to its extraordinary carbon storage capacity.

Since 1984, monitoring markers have been installed along the French Mediterranean coast to track its evolution. However, some of these markers have not been revisited since 2004. As part of the mission, scientific diving expeditions are planned at depths of around 20 to 35 meters to relocate these markers and survey up to 18 sites along the coastline of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region, together with scientists from GIS Posidonie. This mission will offer a unique look back at 40 years of change, providing valuable insights into the trajectory of this essential species.

A first stopover in Marseille to engage with the public

A first stopover will take place in Marseille from May 12 to 16, 2025, featuring public conferences, awareness workshops for younger generations, ship tours, a seminar on the decarbonization of maritime transport, and the opportunity for companies to organize events on board.

As a partner of the stopover, the City of Marseille, represented by Deputy Mayor Hervé Menchon, is providing spaces within City Hall to help engage a wider audience on the importance of ocean conservation for the climate.

Around 300 students, starting from the final year of primary school (CM2), are expected throughout the week to discover the ship and explore the educational activities set up in partnership with the local branches of Les Petits Débrouillards and La Fresque Océane. Students from the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime will also have the opportunity to interact with the crew and discuss the challenges and solutions related to the decarbonization of maritime transport.

This will also be the theme of the seminar "All Sails Set for the Decarbonization of Maritime Transport", scheduled to take place on board the ambassador vessel on Tuesday, May 13. The event will bring together local industry experts to discuss this major challenge and share innovative technological and strategic solutions. A representative from ENSM will give us an overview of the sail transport in France, Djamina Houdet-Caseneuve from the neo-sailing company Hisseo will provide a historical perspective and share the specific features of transport under sail in the Mediterranean, and Nicolas Imber from Green Cross will talk about the communication standards to be put in place to encourage the choice of sailing as a mode of transport.

Conferences open to the public

Two free public conferences will also be organized to raise awareness about ocean preservation. These conferences will provide the public with the opportunity to engage directly with scientists and advocates for this vital ecosystem.

• On Monday, May 12, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm a Film Debate titled "Plastic: A Collective Suicide?" will take place. This documentary explores our dependence on plastic and the dangers it poses to the environment and human health, through testimonies collected by Race for Water during its 12 years of research on plastic pollution. The screening will be followed by a discussion with team members who participated in the previous two expeditions dedicated to combating this environmental scourge.

• On Thursday, May 15, from 6 to 8 pm, the Conference "Posidonia Meadows: A Local Treasure to Protect for the Ocean and the Climate" will be led by Professor Charles-François Boudouresque, an ecologist and renowned expert on this key Mediterranean species.The conference will be followed by an exclusive preview screening of the documentary Posidonia a sporting and maritime adventure aimed at raising public awareness about the future of the Southern Region's coastline, in the presence of filmmakers Nelly Kars and Bruno Lambert.

To participate, simply register by filling out the online form, available on social media.