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1% of the ocean’s surface. 10% of its biodiversity. And yet… the Mediterranean is burning.

1% of the ocean's surface. 10% of its biodiversity.
And yet... the Mediterranean is burning.

Beneath the surface, corals are dying. But an unexpected solution may be emerging:

👉 What if the answer came… from the Red Sea?

That’s the bold idea behind SymbioSwap, a project led by Claudia Pogoreutz, researcher at the University of Perpignan.

The Mediterranean is a jewel of biodiversity — but it’s also one of the regions most affected by climate change.

Heatwaves are devastating invertebrates and corals there, which cannot escape to cooler waters to survive.

SymbioSwap explores an innovative path: transplanting symbiotic microalgae between tropical and Mediterranean corals to test their resistance to thermal stress.

The goal? To understand whether these invisible alliances can help strengthen coral resilience in the face of marine heatwaves.

🎥 Meet Claudia and learn more in this video!

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Discover our 6 winning projects!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT 2025:
Discover our 6 winning projects!

Today is a great day for the ocean and for scientific research! We are delighted to unveil the winning projects from the 2025 Pure Ocean Call for Projects. These innovative initiatives will help protect the ocean, preserve marine biodiversity and build resilience in the face of climate change.

A round of applause for our 6 winners! 📣

👕 ALT-WASTE: map underwater textile pollution to combat it more effectively,

🌱AQUAMAP: develop silvo-fish farming to halt the erosion of mangroves, major reservoirs of blue carbon,

🦤 BIRDS ON STICKS: encourage the return of seabirds to fertilize coral reefs,

🐟 FISH ON THE MOVE: optimize the connection between marine protected areas to

boost biodiversity,

🦐 RIMIOMICS: demonstrate the toxicological impact of mining on abyssal ecosystems,

🪸 SYMBIOSWAP: test the exchange of symbiotic algae to make Mediterranean corals more resistant to climate change.

 

Why are this project important? ✨

These projects pave the way for concrete, ambitious and nature-based solutions to the urgent challenges facing the ocean. Each of them has been selected by our scientific committee for its potential for innovation, its impact on practices and its contribution to ocean science.

Many thanks to our scientific committee Gilles Boeuf, Anna Zivian, Kartik Shanker, Abdelmalek Faraj, Flavia Lucena Fredou 🙏

🔬 Congratulations to the scientific teams and partners for their exceptional commitment. These projects are a big step towards a healthier ocean.

See you soon to find out more about these hopeful projects!

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