The Oceans in the history of the Earth, Life and Societies

This approach is declined according to different time scales (geological, prehistoric, historical, current). It is favoured by the diversity of the components of the Alliance. Transdisciplinary projects may focus on origins, evolutions and trajectories. The aim is to understand the impact of the oceans on the Earth, living organisms and societies. It is also about detecting and interpreting the traces that geological, biological and social histories have left in and under the oceans. 

Global changes, risks and adaptations

Today it is a major topic in many disciplines. Teams from the Alliance Sorbonne University are already engaged in this direction. The Ocean Institute wants to promote a transversal approach dedicated to the oceanic and coastal specificities of these changes and their impacts on marine biomes. 

Maritime geopolitics and circulation

Maritimization marks our time. It has multiplied the intensity of the flow of goods, men and women, data, cultures, pandemics, etc.. Preserving, controlling or interrupting these intense flows are issues of power, prosperity, security and solidarity. A powerful reverse movement is developing, that of the territorialization of the oceans. It may be a question of preserving biodiversity, living or energy resources, or it may also be a question of ensuring exclusive exploitation. These two movements of maritimization and territorialization contribute to shaping the system of contemporary international relations.