A New Documentary on Marine Conservation
As part of its commitment to protecting the ocean, our endowment fund supports the Andromède Océanologie association, co-founded by the renowned marine biologist and photographer Laurent Ballesta. A three-time winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award, he combines scientific rigor, the power of imagery, and concrete action.
This partnership has resulted in the production of an exceptional documentary, which is scheduled to premiere in mid-2027 and serves a threefold purpose: scientific, environmental, and educational.
The Spectacular Phenomenon of Picarel Nests
The film highlights a natural phenomenon that is as impressive as it is fleeting. Off the coast of Cap Corse, from March through June, fish known as picarels build immense honeycomb-shaped nests covering several hectares. The males construct and fiercely defend these sanctuaries to shelter the females’ eggs until they hatch.
This phenomenon attracts a wealth of biodiversity, notably marking the return of rare species such as angel sharks.
A large-scale scientific expedition
Observed only once forty years ago, this behavior remained largely unknown. Building on an initial scientific publication in the journal Current Biology* in 2024, the project conducted a final expedition in the spring of 2026. The film crew and researchers employed a variety of diving protocols to document nest construction, analyze the sharks’ defenses against predators, and track the movements of angel sharks using Argos tags.