Pure Ocean
- laurencejob
- Sep 17
- 3 min read
Blue biodiversity
Meeting with David Sussmann, President of the NGO Pure Ocean, which mobilizes civil society, in France and abroad, to support innovative projects to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
By Nathalie Motsch
Natalie Motsch
Dear David, you find yourself in a golf magazine, to talk to us about the fragility of the seas and the ocean, the urgency to protect is conjugated in green and blue?
David Sussmann
Absolutely! On land or at sea, each of us understands the urgency of taking daily action and committing to adopting more virtuous lifestyles and production methods.
And we can move these green and blue lines! I have a credo that I tirelessly repeat to new generations: never give up because everything is possible. I am living this awareness by trying with our NGO to preserve marine ecosystems from the great perils that affect our blue planet. Did you know that the ocean represents 71% of the surface
of the Earth and 97% of the spaces available for life. Do you know the number of marine species? Currently, we know 250,000, but scientists estimate that we only know 10% of the actual marine biodiversity. In other words, 9 out of 10 species remain to be discovered. This blue planet is a library of wonders, an unexpected and unexplored Atlantis.
Are you telling us that the solutions for humanity lie dormant in the depths?
David
The ocean is a true blue lung for our planet, it produces 50% of the Earth's oxygen, yes, you heard me right, 50% of the Earth's oxygen and it absorbs 25% of CO2 emissions. The ocean connects humans and directly feeds 3.5 billion of them, in fact, it is our life insurance, preserving it is vital. However, the ocean faces the greatest dangers between climate change, acidification, pollution, destruction of habitats and biodiversity, overfishing, it is a long and painful list.
David, faced with the magnitude of the peril, you created an NGO based in Marseille and Lorient, Pure Ocean, to innovate for the ocean?
David
Indeed, innovation and science are at the heart of Pure Ocean's commitment. Its mission is to select and support innovative applied research projects around the world. The goal is to meet the priorities identified by the United Nations for the Decade of Ocean Science: combating marine pollution, protecting biodiversity, and restoring ecosystems.
Strengthen resilience to climate change and better understand the ocean system. In other words, concrete solutions for a more resilient ocean for the benefit of the planet and humanity.
We fund between 5 and 7 programs per year after validation by our Scientific Committee.
Six new scientific projects for 2025 that will be funded by Pure Ocean, can you tell us about one of them?
David
Of course, I can tell you about SymbioSwap, which aims to transplant symbiotic algae between Mediterranean and tropical corals to study their role in resisting global warming. The goal is to decipher a mechanism by which corals adapt to climate change.
How do you finance these programs?
David
Mainly through sponsorship. Our goal is to raise awareness among the entrepreneurs and businesses we support through outreach activities. A community made up of 150 businesses, primarily in France.
Any last words for our golfing friends?
David
Golf courses are incredible reserves of biodiversity, and many have embraced their responsibility to protect and enhance the flora and fauna. So I hope that with these few lines on Pure Ocean, our NGO will also have convinced golfing leaders and nature lovers to join us in protecting our blue wonder together.
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