Press Conference at the Méridien Beach Plaza

On Thursday, October 8, as part of the initiatives carried out to mark the 50th anniversary of AMPN and the Larvotto Marine Protected Area (MPA), AMPN, in collaboration with the teams at Hôtel Méridien Beach Plaza – Marriott, organized a press conference dedicated to the main results of the scientific monitoring conducted within the MPA.

Following a presentation of AMPN and Monaco’s MPAs by its Director, Ms. Jacqueline Gautier-Debernardi, Drs. Heike Molenaar, Alexis Pey (Thalassa Marine Research & Environmental awareness) and Eugenio Di Franco presented the results of monitoring activities focusing in particular on fish populations, juvenile fish, the Posidonia seagrass meadow and artificial reefs.

These results highlight the richness and ecological functionality of the Larvotto MPA, the world’s first urban MPA:

• a rich and abundant fish population;
• a significant presence of juvenile fish, essential for the renewal of adult populations;
• a well-preserved Posidonia seagrass meadow;
• artificial reefs contributing to supporting this rich biodiversity.
  
  This monitoring is essential to assess changes in marine ecosystems, measure the effectiveness of conservation measures and guide the conservation actions implemented by AMPN.
  
  They demonstrate the importance of science-based protection in sustainably preserving the biodiversity of Monaco’s coastline.
  
  A big thank you to the Hôtel Méridien Beach Plaza – Marriott for organizing this morning’s event and for its commitment alongside AMPN.
  
  Photo credit: AMPN