CONFERENCE LES MERCREDIS DE LA CONNAISSANCE - MAI

Les mercredis de la Connaissance conference organised by Les Amis du Laboratoire Arago
6pm, Alain Guille Amphitheatre at the Observatoire Océanologique Banyuls, free admission.

"From maritime voyages of discovery to scientific expeditions: the example of Kerguelen" presented by Stéphane Blain.

Summary
The aim of the great maritime expeditions from the 17th century onwards was to discover new lands and exploit them. Scientists very quickly became part of the crews, and the acquisition of new knowledge thus became an objective in itself. Some of these voyages have remained famous, such as that of the Beagle, which took Darwin on board. The end of the 19th century marked a new turning point with the organisation of expeditions entirely dedicated to science. Since then, these expeditions have become more sophisticated and complex. The Kerguelen archipelago, now a UNESO world heritage site, is no exception to this chronology. The conference, held alongside the 9th Art-Cherche exhibition "From Glacier to Oasis" currently on display on the Sagols esplanade, illustrates these different facets: Discovery, exploitation, research, protection.

Portrait
Stéphane Blain is Professor Emeritus at Sorbonne University. He is an oceanographer specialising in the carbon cycle in the Southern Ocean. For 30 years he has led numerous expeditions in this region, both at sea and on land. He is currently leading the MARGO research project, which aims to understand the impact of the melting Kerguelen ice cap on the marine ecosystem. He is one of the designers of the "From Glacier to Oasis" exhibition.

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