The MARRES events

The first week of the program is dedicated to getting to know each other, creating a team spirit, discovering the Mediterranean Sea and this brand new world.

The students discover Nice and its old town on the first day in the form of a treasure hunt, then meet for the opening ceremony at the Chateau of the Valrose campus. They go to Monaco to discover the marine biodiversity of the Mediterranean while staying dry. Accompanied by members of the academic team and coordinators, they get to know each other and discover the Lerins Islands for the first time thanks to a kayak day. And of course, they discover their campus in Sophia Antipolis and sort out any last administrative details they might have.

During the second week of the program, before classes begin, students meet with professionals representing different sectors of the marine resources industry (research, conservation, environmental consultancy, innovation...) to open their employability spectrum.

If you wish to participate, please contact us: msc-marres@univ-cotedazur.fr

During the third week of the academic year, all students go for four days to the Lerins Islands, an archipelago in the bay of Cannes. The objectives are multiple. 

Scientifically, it is to quantify the apparent biodiversity around the archipelago. A work done every year since 2012. Scientific hypotheses are also tested such as the impact of invasive species, the impact of hydrodynamics on benthic communities, the testing of different sampling methods or the impact of an aquaculture farm on water quality and on the ecosystem.

Pedagogically, it is a question of appropriating the scientific approach in its entirety, from the conception of the scientific question and the sampling strategy, to the data analysis and the communication of the results.

From a social point of view, it is an important element of the team spirit that is so important to the program. A moment of exchange between Y1s, Y2s, Blue Managers, teachers and staff.

In June, the year ends with the MARRES Symposium which brings together all the students for their project deliverables. 

In Science & Society, the Y2 students defend their master thesis, the last element of their journey at MARRES and the Blue Managers present their professional project. First year students present their immersion project experience in the form of a video-pitch (their final results will be presented in December in Y2) during an informal "Pint of Science" evening.  At the end of the week, a closing event is organized to once again have a good time together before the vacations.

To close the MARRES adventure, the graduates are celebrated at the beginning of September, in the company of the new Y1s, the Y2s who will replace them the following year, the Blue Managers, the teachers & staff and the alumni who will always be invited to the ceremony.

After the speech of the commencement speaker, the MARRES awards are announced, before the proclamation itself (the awarding of the diplomas). In the second part of the evening, the students present their own show to make their last memories together before departing for the adventure of the professional world.