Oceanographic Museum

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Oceanographic Museum is a museum of marine sciences in Monaco-Ville, Monaco.

Contents 1 History 2 About 3 Photos 4 External links

[edit] History

The Oceanographic Museum was inaugurated in 1910 by Monaco's biggest reformator, Prince Albert I. This monumental architecural work of art has an impressive façade towering above the sea. The structure towers over the sea at a height of 279 feet (85.04 meters). It took 11 years to build, using 100,000 tons of stone from La Turbie.

[edit] About

The museum houses remarkable collections of various species of sea fauna (starfish, seahorses, turtles, jellyfish, crabs, lobsters, rays, sharks, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, eels, cuttlefish etc.) both stuffed and in skeletal form. The museum's holdings also include a great variety of sea related objects, including model ships, sea animal skeletons, tools, weapons, etc.

The basement of the museum showcases a spectacular array of flora and fauna. 4000 species of fish and over 200 families of invertebrates can be seen. ow an authority on the presentation of the Mediterranean and tropical marine ecosystem.

Jacques Cousteau was its director for many years, beginning in 1957.

[edit] Photos

This skeleton of a 66-foot whale is among the many of Albert's collection

An aquarium tank

A lion fish

A school of clownfish

[edit] External links

• Official website (in French)
• Information page at official website (in English)
• Monaco Official Site: Information on the Museum
• Oceanographic Museum for visitors to Monaco