Overview

The Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, located between Nice and Monaco was part of a small research station established in 1885 by Alexis de Korotneff (University of Kiev) and Carl Vogt (University of Geneva) in buildings rented from the Russian military. The station administration was transferred to the University Pierre and Marie Curie in 1932.
Today the Observatoire de Villefranche-sur-Mer is composed of two joint laboratories, Biodev (Biologie du Developpement, Developmental Biology Laboratory) and LOV (Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Oceanography Laboratory).

Mission and research

The station operates and maintains one of the three longest-running deep marine environmental monitoring stations in the world as well as an important long-term pelagic observation program.
Research topics include developmental biology, pelagic and coastal oceanography at regional and global scales, biological and biogeochemical cycles in marine environment, carbon cycling, phytoplankton production, biological diversity of zooplankton communities.

Marine facilities
Two vessels dedicated to littoral observations and research work and diving.

Laboratories and platforms
Laboratories and climate control rooms with access to all basic research equipments. Access to library, a database on local environmental physico-chemical and biological parameters.

Main marine models
Chaetognaths, ascidians, ctenophores, jellyfish, sea urchins, Pelagia noctiluca, Clytia hemispherica, Xenopus laevis, Beroe ovata.