“Secrets of the Abyss” exhibition staged by Ifremr ewith photographs by Gilles Martin

From the 30th of March 2024, discover the mysteries of the depths of the sea with the “Secrets of the Abyss” photo exhibition in the Nausicaá hall.

Stunning pictures 

This art exhibition, staged by Ifremer and illustrated by the photographs of Gilles Martin, highlights the work of the scientists at Ifremer who explore the abyss and help to improve our knowledge of this fragile environment.

Visitors will have the opportunity to browse through portrait galleries featuring marine animals previously unknown to the general public.

Here, you will find some extraordinary marine creatures with incredible shapes and colours, who have developed unique adaptations to survive in this extreme environment.

Gilles Martin’s photographs plunge us into a realm that until now has remained unseen, revealing creatures with astonishing shapes and fascinating living habits.

In fact, most of these species were completely unknown, originating in the marine abyss. They were discovered and brought up from the abyss notably by Ifremer researchers. 

Photographing the infinitely small: a technical challenge!

To take these pictures, Gilles Martin spent hours looking through his microscope and camera, working closely with Ifremer scientists. 

“Ifremercontacted me to create an exclusive photographic inventory of the meiofauna and macrofauna of the abysses (polychaeta, Nematoda, crustaceans, Echinodermata, Mollusca) collected during successive campaigns by the “Pourquoi pas?” of the French Oceanographic Fleet

The largest specimens to be photographed measure 3 cm while the smallest measure just a few microns. I take most of the pictures in my studio in Tours, using my own equipment: a bellows, a Zeiss stereomicroscope and a Zeiss fluorescence optical microscope. To round things off, I travel to Ifremer in Brest to take photographs using a scanning electron microscope that is capable of very high magnifications of up to 2 million times.”

The “Secrets of the Abyss” exhibition offers a unique insight into the lesser-known world of the deep sea. Through these exceptional photographs, visitors can experience the beauty and diversity of the abyssal fauna, while at the same time learning all about the technical and scientific challenges associated with exploring this mysterious environment. 

Les Escales de Nausicaá

his year, Nausicaá invites you to embark on a journey through the Stopovers, a program that promises unforgettable moments with family or friends. At the heart of this adventure, discover a series of events, designed to arouse curiosity, provoke reflection and create enriching memories linked to the Ocean.

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