French Science Festival 2024: Oceans of Knowledge

The title of this exhibition is “Oceans: A New Mining Treasure Trove?”. It will be available to the general public at the Hong Kong Science Museum from the 4th to the 14th of October and will be accompanied by a VR experience.

In January 2024, Norway authorized underwater mining exploration around Svalbard. Other exploration projects of the same type by several countries – and authorized by

the International Seabed Authority – are underway, notably in the Clarion-Clipperton zone in the Pacific, motivated by the search for strategic materials such as nickel, copper, manganese and cobalt. This situation is causing worldwide concern, while the scientific community points out that 80% of the seabed remains unexplored. 24 countries, including France, are calling for a pause in undersea mining until the scientific community can decide. A subject in keeping with the Year of the Seas and Oceans. This exhibition will look at the following questions: What do we know about the deep sea? Why are they so interesting? What are the risks involved?

• Time: Hong Kong Science museum opening hours, check on their website.
• Location: Hong Kong Science Museum, 2 Science Museum Road, TST

This inaugural conference will take place on the 4th of October at the Hong Kong Science Museum at 6:30pm and will open the French Science Festival. This conference will delve into the main topic of the 2024 French Science Festival edition “Oceans of Knowledge” in the context of the UN conference on Oceans to be held in Nice in 2025.

Our ambassadors, Mr Romain Troublé from Fondation Tara Ocean and Mrs Hidy Yu, together with our moderator Joost Schokkenbroek will engage in an interesting discussion on the preservation of oceans and how to raise awareness. Oceans cover more than 70% of our planet’s surface, yet they are all too often pushed to the sidelines of international meetings on the climate and biodiversity.

They regulate environmental balances and especially the climate, provide a wealth of varied resources, are an important enabler of trade, and are an essential link between countries and human communities. Today, they are threatened by the pressure caused by the effects of climate change, pollution – particularly that caused by plastic – and the overexploitation of marine resources.

Moderator

Joost Schokkenbroek joined HKU’s Faculty of Arts as Professor Museum Studies in August 2023. He has a long career in the museum sector and academia. Between 1988 and 2023 he held various curatorial and management positions in four different museums covering three continents – lately as Museum Director of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum. Schokkenbroek was professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. He is the (co)author of five books and dozens of peer reviewed articles – often related to (maritime) history, museum matters, and the importance of artifacts.

This conference will be followed by a cocktail at the Science Museum, on invitation only*.

• Location: Hong Kong Science Museum, 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
• Time : 6:30pm – 7:30pm

Big Bang Academy will present a workshop at Alliance Française Jordan titled ’Creating Your Own Ocean in a Jar,’ tailored for children aged 5 to 10 upon registration. Children will immerse themselves in the world of the ocean and experiment with different materials to create their ocean in a jar!

The ocean is seen as mysterious because it covers a large part of our planet but hides many wonders that are yet to be discovered and cherished. Whether it is water, stones, or coral, children will learn more about the ocean, have fun, and leave with their own jar. They will observe and analyse what can be found on the ocean floor such as rocks and algae. They will also realise the need to protect the richness of life on the ocean floor. Children will even have the chance to explore the diversity of sea animals.

Learn how to think like a scientist with Big Bang Academy! This workshop at Alliance Française Jordan is where your child will ignite their curiosity and passion for the discovery of ocean science.

• Location: Alliance française, 52 Jordan Road, Kowloon
• Time : 3:00pm – 4:00pm
  
  Organized with Big Bang Academy

Creating Your Own Ocean in a Jar (5-10 years, on registration only)

Join us in this exciting class as we play with different substances to create your very own ocean in a jar!

*The workshop will be delivered in English

On the occasion of the French Science Festival on “Oceans of knowledge”, the Department of Ocean Science, HKUST, will organize a handful of activities to involve the public, particularly students, in the world of marine and ocean science. Join us to discover the department’s research, facilities, and educational programs, while being immersed in the marine environment.

Mark your calendar for 2 days of insightful events including exhibition, interactive fieldwork and workshops, lab visits, and showcase of tools/technologies used in interactive oceanography games, presentation of innovative ocean research projects, screening, talks and VR experience.

• Location: Tsang Shiu Tim Art Hall, HKUST
• Time : 09:30am – 5:30pm

Speakers:



Ms. Marine THOMAS: Marine is the Associate Director of Conservation for the Nature Conservancy (TNC) Hong Kong. Marine is responsible for overseeing TNC’s marine conservation projects on the ground, with a current focus on restoring natural habitats and developing sustainable oyster aquaculture. She joined The Nature Conservancy in 2014 as a volunteer, bringing 7 years of project management experience from various industries in the corporate world. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from The University of Hong Kong. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chinese language and civilization from the National Institute of Oriental Language and Civilization in Paris and a Master’s of science in International Management for China from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Marine was born in Hong Kong with French-British background. She is an avid scuba diver and certified Padi Divemaster and AAUS scientific diver.



Bayden Dwight RUSSELL: Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Swire Institute of Marine Science and Area of Ecology and Biodiversity at The University of Hong Kong. Prof. Russell is an ecophysiologist whose research focuses on the impact of climate change and pollution on ecosystem function, the biology of key species, and how best to manage and conserve ecosystems in this context. He also investigates the human relationship with, and dependence on, marine ecosystems and how these can be made sustainable through nature-based solutions, especially oyster reef restoration. More recently, he is working to develop strategies to maximise blue carbon opportunities by combining economic development and ecosystem restoration.

Adam JANIKOWSKI: Adam is the head of the Explorers Club Hong Kong chapter. He is passionate about ocean sustainability and very proud of his work volunteering with the Nature Conservancy, particularly around oyster reef rehabilitation in Hong Kong. In addition to his Doctorate from the Colorado School of Mines, he has received a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, a B.A. in Classics, both from Queen’s University in Canada, an MBA from INSEAD where he graduated with distinction, and an M.Sc. in Space Resources Development from the Colorado School of Mines. During his M.Sc. program, Adam was part of a team that won NASA’s Big Ideas Challenge for their work in developing laser power beaming on the moon. Adam is also an avid sportsman and has completed the Boston Marathon and the Athens Classic Marathon, earned a first dan black belt in Judo, and completed a successful summit of Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world.

The 8th of October will be dedicated to a collaboration with dedicated to a collaboration with Plastic Free Seas, an 11-year-old registered Hong Kong charity with a mission to change the way single-use plastic is viewed and used in Hong Kong, through education and action campaigns. They focus on educating young people, and have reached over 135,000 students in 400+ schools across Hong Kong in both Cantonese and English.

Dana Winograd, the Co-founder & Executive Director of PFS, will kick off the event with a sharing on the issue of plastic pollution, both globally and locally, and the solutions we can all take on to help solve this problem. This educational and informative presentation is a key element of the beach cleanup programme, and will provide context and inspiration for the cleanup which will be held after lunch. The beach is an easy 20 min walk from Discovery Bay, Lantau Island.

Participants will be invited to a vegan brunch buffet, provided by the French Chef, Tina Barrat. This event is limited to 20 people. Both the Plastic Free Seas presentation and the vegan brunch buffet will take place in the Ségalen room of the Consulate General of France in Admiralty. After lunch, the participants can make their way to Central Ferry Pier #3 for the ferry to Discovery Bay.

 Meeting Point: Consulate general of France in Hong Kong and Macao – Salle Ségalen

 Itinerary:

10.45 – 11.45 Presentation by PFS at Ségalen room

11.45 – 12.45 Lunch by vegan chef Tina Barrat

12.45 – 1.00: Get ready

1.00 – 1.30 Walk to Central Ferry Pier #3 (According to google map, it’s a 7 mins ride / 22 mins walk)

1.40 – 2.10 Ferry to Discovery Bay

2.10 – 2.15 Use the bathroom

2.15 – 2.35 Walk to the beach

2.35 – 2.50 Safety and instruction brief

2.50 – 3.50 Beach cleanup (suggested length, can be a bit longer or shorter)

3.50 – 4.05 Debrief and group photos

4.05 – 4.20 Walk to the plaza

4.40 – 5.10 Ferry to Central

We are delighted to count on the participation of Andrea Richey, the Executive Director of local NGO Hong Kong Shark Foundation for this year’s edition. Ms Richey will give her educational version of her TedEx Talk.

Hong Kong Shark Foundation (HKSF) is a registered charity dedicated exclusively to shark conservation. They aim to raise awareness about shark conservation, particularly the unsustainable practice of shark finning, and to reduce consumption of shark products in Hong Kong. Every year, at least 100 million sharks are caught worldwide for shark fins and other products, with over 50% of the world’s shark fin being traded through Hong Kong alone. As apex predators, sharks are a crucial part of the marine food chain. The demand for shark products has contributed to the rapid decline of many species, with several already nearing extinction. Removing sharks from our oceans will threaten the delicate balance of ecosystems that are valuable sources of food and key elements in regulating our climate. Oceans absorb carbon, generate oxygen and are essential to our survival on the planet. Hong Kong Shark Foundation has been approved by the Hong Kong Education Bureau to be a part of their Life-Wide Learning (LWL) education initiative.

Andrea Richey:

For over 30 years, Ms. Richey has lived in Hong Kong and worked for a wide variety of corporate and NGO entities. Since 2015, she has worked and volunteered for the NGO Hong Kong Shark Foundation in many capacities, most recently as the Executive Director raising awareness about shark conservation and educating people to stop eating shark fin soup and all shark products. Before joining Hong Kong Shark Foundation, Ms. Richey was a legal recruiter and previous to that worked for the Wall Street law firm of Paul, Weiss in Hong Kong in a corporate communications/business development capacity. She speaks Mandarin and has lived and worked in both China and Taiwan.

• Location: Room MB217, The University of Hong Kong
• Time : 5:00pm – 6:00pm

The Odyssey (French title: L’Odyssée) is a 2016 French-Belgian biographical adventure film directed by Jérôme Salle and written by Salle and Laurent Turner, based on the non-fiction book Capitaine de La Calypso by Albert Falco and Yves Paccalet. The film stars Lambert Wilson, Pierre Niney, and Audrey Tautou. The film follows Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a French ocean-going adventurer, biologist, and filmmaker. It sticks to historical events, and was based on documentation and interviews with people who worked with Cousteau.

In 1949, Cousteau, an eccentric French naval officer, with a beautiful oceanside house, who wanted to be a pilot. But he quits the Navy to explore and document the ocean. His boat, Calypso, was a 1941 minesweeper. The film is a biopic covering aquatic adventures over thirty years. Cousteau is revealed to be an adventurer but also an inventor. He designed the autonomous regulator, but also had romantic views of colonising the sea. The film documents the decline of his finances and fortunes and banks pull out as the era of ’robotics’ and automation begins as a more plausible financial investment than Cousteau’s ideas of civilizations living under the sea.

The film also delves into his intimate life sharing stories about his wife and son. Cousteau is shown to be a popularizer of the hidden wonders of the sea, and the person who raised the most awareness of the ocean and the need for environmental protection for many decades. His role in brokering the moratorium on resource exploitation in Antarctica is mentioned in the closing credits.

• Location: Hong Kong Science Museum, 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
• Time : 3:00pm – 5:15pm