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SPOTLIGHT ON THE OCEAN
Art, economics and science

hand in hand to raise public

awareness

On 19 March 2024, at the Monaco Innovation Runway, The danger of marine plastic pollution as a vector for
an event marrying art and science was held to inspire bacteria, in particular Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, was
the general public, with the support of Monegasque presented using immersive 3D technology by Houda
innovation start-up incubator MonacoTech. The Ayari, a PhD student at the University of Paris 8’s
Monaco Ocean Week evening event began with a Laboratoire AIAC (art of images and contemporary art
science conference hosted by Rachid Benchaouir, lab) whose applied research work is at the interface
CEO and Founder of marine biotechnology company between art and science. Ayari’s project, Plastic
Coraliotech, which is supported by the Monaco Danger: from the Sea to the Plate, features virtual
Scientific Centre (CSM), during which speakers reality and augmented reality visualisations of the
discussed topics in the fields of marine biodiversity, scientific data available to help the public understand
environmental economics, pollution and sustainable this phenomenon that can be harmful to human
marine resources. health.
CSM Director Professor Denis Allemand drew Rachid Benchaouir then presented the eco-friendly
attention to the role of marine ecosystems in technology used by Coraliotech to create active
maintaining complex food chains and climate substances that are identical to the natural molecules
regulation. During the second part of the conference, of coral ecosystem organisms, without any impact
Nathalie Hilmi, Head of Environmental Economics on the natural environment, using the process of
at CSM, warned: “Overfishing, pollution, habitat biomimicry.
destruction and climate change not only threaten The event closed with the private view of Oceans en
biodiversity but also undermine the economic stability lumière, an exhibition of paintings by Slakï, an artist
of the communities who depend on it”. based in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin who is inspired by
these themes.