Marine Educative Area "Generation 8" : Discovery of coral reefs

On Friday, January 9th, the AMPN team visited the MEA class at the François d’Assise–Nicolas Barré School. 

The overall project focuses on climate change, and this intervention aimed to broaden students’ perspectives beyond the Mediterranean by introducing them to tropical coral reefs.

Using an interactive approach and models loaned by the Scientific Centre of Monaco, the class explored coral anatomy, which is made up of polyps that produce a mineral skeleton and maintain a mutualistic relationship with a microalga called zooxanthellae.

The children became aware of the importance of coral reefs, which host one-third of the world's marine biodiversity and provide essential services to human societies, such as coastal protection and food resources. 

They also observed that overfishing, pollution, and the warming and acidification of oceans threaten the survival of reefs. Recognizing the urgency to act, they proposed solutions like reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishing Marine Protected Areas.

Furthermore, thanks to a partnership with the Scientific Centre of Monaco, students are participating in an experiment illustrating the impact of warming. In the lab, corals are exposed to a temperature of 31°C, causing thermal stress and bleaching due to the breakdown of the symbiosis. The temperature is then lowered to 25°C to highlight the coral’s resilience when preservation measures are implemented.

This experiment is documented through five videos produced by the Scientific Centre of Monaco, with the first already shown in class. A visit to the laboratories will also allow students to observe these aquariums during the next session.

A big thank you to the Scientific Centre of Monaco for its valuable contribution to this project.

Program supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Government of Monaco

Photo credit  : AMPN