Welcome to the City of Oceanauts, a brand new space designed especially for children aged 6 to 12! Located in the heart of Océanopolis, this unique place offers a sensory and interactive journey that will amaze young and old.
With its 450 m2 and its 14 mediation facilities, the Cité des Océanautes offers children the opportunity to become truly active participants in their discovery of the ocean and its rich biodiversity.
A unique ocean discovery space
Thanks to installations combining digital technology and mechanical devices, young visitors can touch, listen and see the ocean in all its forms in an experiential, sensory and inclusive journey.
The 5 themes of the City of Oceanautes
The City of Oceanauts in Oceanopolis is structured around 5 themes:
Distinctive characteristics
Discover the attributes of marine animals in an immersive space. Addressing the idea of the classification of living things by arousing children’s curiosity.
Behaviour
Listen, observe and recreate the behaviour of marine fauna. Understand why and how sounds and light are produced by living things and why certain species join forces.
Movement
Be enthralled by underwater movements in a fun and creative way. Imagine and draw animals that drift, swim or move in shoals.
Think about the oceans
Express yourself on topics related to the ocean, discover how it can inspire us for a more environmentally friendly daily life. Meet the women and men passionate about the sea who have made it their role to inspire others about their vocations.
Acting for the oceans
Become aware of the challenges facing our oceans by experimenting with a reconstructed foreshore, climatic archives and even a plastics laboratory.
Practical information
Duration of the visit: 1 hour
Hours: Tuesday to Friday, continuous from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. / Saturdays and Sundays, continuous from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access conditions: Without reservation, free access.
Capacity: 60 people per 1-hour visit slots.
Minors under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
The Cité des Océanauts is accessible to people with disabilities.
All content in this space is translated into English.
From what age is the City des Oceanauts accessible?
The City of Oceanauts was designed for children aged 6 to 12. The themes covered, the level of information delivered and the manipulations proposed are adapted to this age group.
However, the City of Oceanauts is to be discovered as a family! Children share this visit with their parents or caregivers who have a role to play in these discoveries.
Younger visitors who do not read yet have not been forgotten: the explanatory panels and instructions for the devices are succinct and illustrated. Thanks to the omnipresent illustrations and with the help of older children, younger children can also fully enjoy the City of Oceanauts.
Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult as for the visit of Oceanopolis.
Is the City of Oceanauts accessible to visitors with disabilities?
The City of Oceanauts is suitable for visitors with disabilities.
The space was designed so that the furniture supporting the mediation apparatus is accessible to people with reduced mobility using wheelchairs. A wheelchair lift means everyone can access the Agora, in the centre of the space.
The numerous sensory, visual and sound attractions offer an inclusive tour for all children.
Finally, videos include subtitles making this content accessible to hearing impaired visitors.
the origins of the city of oceanauts
For more than 30 years, Océanopolis has been committed to young visitors. Thanks to the ‘At the Ocean School’ programme recognised by France’s national education authorities, no less than 35,000 schoolchildren, from nursery school through to higher education, pass through the doors of the National Centre for Scientific Culture dedicated to the Ocean every year. This expertise with young audiences is being expressed today through the launch of the City of Oceanauts.
“The first outlines of the City of Oceanauts were drawn almost 10 years ago with the desire to promote mediation, bringing together and listening to children, creating a place to give them a voice.” Dominique Barthelemy, Océanopolis Curator
Around 20 scientists, all experts in their field, were involved in various themes: microplastics, bioluminescence, bio-inspiration etc. Around 30 companies worked for 5 years, from study to completion, including painters, carpenters, electricians, plinth makers, museum designers, multimedia content developers, illustrators, IT engineers, furniture fitters, graphic designers etc.
“Developing the content for the City of Oceanauts involved real investigative work to select the subjects, to understand how to present them, surrounding ourselves with scientific experts to build the content, and imagine the approach with scenographers, illustrators and designers.” Tiphaine Birien, Scientific Mediator.
Original content produced in-house
The in-house production of scientific mediation content has been an essential component of Océanopolis’s work for more than 30 years. The involvement of all the teams, all the talents and skills make it possible to create original and innovative media.
The vast majority of images in the City of Oceanauts, both photos and videos, were created by Océanopolis’s audiovisual team. The objective was to obtain unique multimedia content for the mediation approaches in this new space.
N° 1 – OPTIM-EYES !
Optim-eyes! presents 13 videos focusing on the eyes of different marine species. Twelve of these were filmed in Océanopolis thanks to the participation of our scaly, feathery and furry guests. The 13th video featuring a sperm whale had, for obvious reasons, to be outsourced.
From the choice of species through to the creation of environments suitable for filming and to the filming itself, it took several months to create the most beautiful marine views. Scallop, ormer, zebra shark, mantis shrimp etc. Visitors will be surprised by the beauty and singularity of these images.
N° 6 – APPRENTICE PLANKTOLOGISTS
The focus on Apprentice planktologists required even more creativity.
The objective of this particular station is to help children understand the evolution of certain species of plankton: from egg to fish to adult, including larva, for example. The Océanopolis teams fished for plankton at the Moulin Blanc marina every day for 3 months in order to collect the future stars of this unique presentation.
After extensive research under the microscope, around 40 species were selected and photographed using the ‘focus stacking’ technique, i.e. a stack of several photographs taken with various focuses with the aim of extending the depth of field to the maximum in order to obtain a perfectly sharp shot from foreground to background.
In the final stage, the Océanopolis teams were supported by a company called 100 Million Pixels, which produced 16 morphings based on photos of plankton in order to show the metamorphoses of these fascinating animals and plants. In total, this single station required more than 3 months of work by the Océanopolis teams.
In all, there are 14 mediation features waiting for you in the City of Oceanauts!
Know more about the mediation features
N° 1 : Optim-eyes!
For humans who dive into the ocean, everything becomes blurry, turns blue and then the increase in pressure hinders our vision. The eyes of marine animals are different: their positions, capacities and number bear witness to millions of years of evolution and astonishing adaptations to the marine environment.
➔ 13 eyes arranged on an oversized octopus tentacle observe visitors, allowing them to marvel at the diversity of views in the marine environment.
N° 2 : What if we joined forces?
There are numerous combinations of different species in the marine environment. The term symbiosis, which means living together, describes these lasting relationships between two different species. While many are beneficial, some are more curious and seem to benefit only one of the partners.
➔ A game table presents 6 pairs of marine animals to be connected. Children touch two animals to find the right combination.
N° 3 : Marine curiosities
All living beings can be classified according to the characteristics that they have in common and can therefore be grouped into different boxes. Those who are in the same box have a stronger relationship and share a common distant ancestor.
➔ A cabinet of curiosities and its interactive console as well as a ‘Guess who?’ game invite children to discover the beginnings of the classification of marine animals
N° 4 : Listening to the ocean
Sounds travel faster and further in the ocean than they do in the air. Marine animals produce noises when they move, eat or communicate: this is called biophony. Geophony relates to the sounds of waves, rain and earthquakes.
➔ A sound table equipped with headphones allows children to discover 18 sounds recorded underwater.
N° 5 :The sea’s sound engineers
The sneeze of a scallop, the grunt of a gurnard, the nasal song of an orca and the gentle lapping of the waves: the marine world is full of surprising sounds.
➔ Instruments are available to children who listen to the sounds of the marine environment and try to reproduce them.
N° 6 : Apprentice planktologists
Behind the word plankton hides a multitude of marine organisms: microalgae, animals, eggs, larvae, bacteria and even viruses. In fact, some 98% of marine life is plankton.
➔ A low-tech games table including a plankton net, rotating current table, rotating sieve and a viewer to better understand plankton.
➔ A virtual drop of water and 4 laboratories to study plant and animal plankton species and observe their development.
N° 7 : Lights at every level
Regardless of the depth, the majority of marine organisms are capable of emitting light through a chemical reaction.
➔ An interactive wall allows children to discover 14 bioluminescent species distributed from the ocean’s surface to the greatest depths.
N° 8 : Ocean’Art
Coral reef fish are adorned with colours even brighter than those of an artist’s palette. They use these colours as a language to recognise and communicate with each other.
➔ 1 creation space equipped with 9 tablets and a giant projection space allowing children to imagine marine species based on 10 models before seeing them come to life in a virtual ocean.
N° 9 : Agora
In this space dedicated to discussions and speaking up, children are also questioned about their empathy and compassion towards different marine species.
➔ A meeting space equipped with 7 terminals to participate in a participatory science game imagined by Océanopolis’s scientific mediation team along with scientists from Rennes 2 University’s LP3C psychology laboratory (cognition, behaviour and communication), University of Western Brittany and Southern Brittany University.
N° 10 : The factory of life
Since the first appearance of life, marine plants and animals have evolved and developed astonishing capabilities. ‘Bio-inspiration’ refers to the inspiration provided by these organisms, allowing us to find clever and environmentally friendly solutions that improve our daily lives.
➔ A contemplative wall including 4 pairs of animals and the objects they have inspired, allowing children to grasp the idea of bio-inspiration.
N° 11 : Treasures of the foreshore
The waves deposit a line of algae mixed with debris from the ocean on the beach. Precious for the coastline and its inhabitants, the foreshore is unfortunately increasingly threatened by objects stemming from human activities.
➔ A reconstruction of a 4-metre-long foreshore with viewers, hatches and rotating screen to unlock the secrets of this unique ecosystem.
N° 12 : Plastic’Lab
In just 70 years, plastic has invaded our daily lives. Today, a lot of plastic waste pollutes the marine environment and its encounter with marine animals is often problematic.
➔ A terminal to discover in pictures the consequences of plastic pollution on marine fauna.
➔ A table of low-tech apparatus with a microscope and 7 samples of microplastics to observe, plus a fresco of plastic decomposition.
N° 13 : Ocean witnesses
Many marine organisms record information about their environment in their skeleton or shell. When they die, their skeletons or shells accumulate on the seabed and some are preserved for millions of years. Collecting and studying this evidence provides numerous data on the history of our oceans and planet.
➔ A table of low-tech apparatus with several calcifiers to observe, a replica sediment core and a viewer tracing the history of the Bay of Brest.
N° 14 : Maritime professions
Did you know that there are more than 900 professions in the maritime sector?
➔ In the form of short interviews, an interactive terminal presents 12 profiles of people who are passionate about the sea and have made it their career (oyster farmer, fishing boat skipper, biologist, illustrator, aquariologist, port agent etc.).
Discover the City of Oceanauts
Buy your ticket now for the City of Oceanauts and share unforgettable moments discovering the ocean.
Dans le cadre de notre métamorphose, les pavillons tropical et polaire sont fermés.
Le pavillon Bretagne, le sentier des loutres, la Cité des Océanautes et d’autres espaces vous attendent avec un tarif spécialet un riche programme d’animations.
