Wine Industry Report

On Saturday 17 June, the Paul Ricard Oceanographical Institute celebrated its 40th anniversary on the island of Les Embiez.

A ‘useful’ birthday
Patricia Ricard, the President of the Institute, joined forces for the occasion with several prominent figures from the scientific community and around thirty leaders and representatives of environmental groups to draw wider public attention to the threat posed by marine pollution.

Jean Marie Pelt, Patricia Ricard, Nardo Vicente
Among them were Jean-Marie Pelt, President of the European Institute for Ecology), Nardo Vicente, the scientific manager of the Paul Ricard Oceanographical Institute, Bernard Cressens, scientific director of WWF, Pascal Husting, President of Greenpeace France, Claude Bourguignon, agrobiologist, Lucien Chabasson, President of the “Plan Bleu” for the Mediterranean sea, Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, President of “La Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux”, Yvan Martin, scientific Director of the Institute, Serge Orru from “Le Festival du Vent”.

The day was organised into a number of debates, documentary screenings and workshops around the island focusing on the theme of ‘The sea and the environment: instructions for use’. A petition was also launched in protest at the waste and pollution caused by discharging sewage into the sea. The event had a family atmosphere, aiming to be both social and educational. ‘A useful birthday’ was how Patricia Ricard described it.

The Oceanographical Institute: research and raising public awareness
The research work at the Paul Ricard Oceanographical Institute enjoys truly international recognition. In 1995, the Institute received an award from the French Académie des Sciences. The Institute works constantly to raise public awareness of the problems of protecting the marine environment. Since its foundation, it has played host to more than a million visitors. It supports around forty different scientific and cultural events linked with the sea, and it organises two conferences, in Toulon and Paris.