Speakers & Moderators

A global citizen who grew up on three continents and speaks six languages, Claire Nouvian has always been fascinated by the diversity of life. After a career as a journalist and wildlife documentary filmmaker, she discovered the mesmerizing and little-known world of the deep sea in 2001 during a film shoot at the Monterey Aquarium in California. Captivated by its beauty and outraged by its destructive industrial exploitation, she decided to dedicate her life to its preservation.

In 2005, she founded the BLOOM Association with the mission of protecting marine ecosystems and raising public awareness of their importance. Through her book Abysses, translated into ten languages, and an international traveling exhibition, she succeeded in captivating the public and mobilizing action. Her relentless efforts have led to significant achievements, including the ban on deep-sea trawling below 800 meters in European waters and the prohibition of electric fishing in 2019.

Claire Nouvian is an active player on the international stage, collaborating with NGOs and influencing public policies on sustainable fishing and marine conservation. Her unwavering commitment has earned her scientific recognition, with a species of bamboo coral named in her honor (Cladarisis nouvianae).

Guided by a vision inspired by thinkers like Aldo Leopold, she embodies the belief that the urgency to act for the living world surpasses immediate human interests: “If even the slightest chance to contribute exists, then it must be seized.”