The Great Medals
Albert I 2019

Titre paragraphe

At a time when the health of the ocean is under threat – from pollution, overfishing and all kinds of excesses – initiatives to improve knowledge and management of our blue planet are multiplying. The Oceanographic Institute, Albert I, Prince of Monaco Foundation honours the great names of the marine world who, through their commitment and their work, contribute to making the Ocean known, loved and protected.

The winners of the Albert I Grand Medal were awarded on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at the Oceanographic Museum :

– Mr Ban Ki-Moon, in the MEDIATION section

Former Secretary General of the UN, at the origin of the creation of the Sustainable Development Goal n° 14 on the Ocean. Secretary General of the United Nations from 2007 to 2016, he made environmental protection one of the priorities of the actions carried out on an international scale, in particular with the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Today, through his Foundation, he participates in the development of citizen projects around the world.

If we are to achieve the UN's development and climate change goals, we need to develop global partnerships, including the active participation of governments, NGOs, the private sector, civil society groups and other stakeholders. This is especially true for the sustainability of our oceans.

– Pr. Lisa Ann Levin, in the SCIENCE section

Oceanographer, author and co-founder of the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) Biological oceanographer, she studies the impact of climate change on benthic communities in deep and shallow water environments. Through important work, it seeks to highlight the need for the political, technological and economic sectors to work together with scientists in order to better consider the impacts of human activity on marine environments.

AN AWARD-WINNING THESIS

In order to support new generations of researchers – whose work is related to the ocean – the Oceanographic Institute has awarded a Thesis Prize. The winner received a grant of 3,000 euros to continue her research.

– Drs. Violaine Pellichero for her thesis: “Study of surface layer dynamics and surface/ocean interactions in the Southern Ocean under sea ice”.

On stage, Dr. Violaine Pellichero presented and popularized, through a dynamic presentation of less than 3 minutes, her research work presenting the role of freshwater exchanges in the evolution of the buoyancy of the mixed layer under the ice and its impact on the large-scale overturning circulation.