This summer, Le Méridien Beach Plaza is inviting visitors to discover one of Monaco’s quieter success stories with a special photographic exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Association Monégasque pour la Protection de la Nature (AMPN). Running from 15 July to 15 October 2026, the exhibition traces half a century of pioneering work that has helped transform Monaco into an international reference point for urban marine conservation.
Hosted in the hotel’s Méridien Hub, the exhibition tells the story of how scientific research, innovation and public engagement have combined to protect one of the Mediterranean’s most precious coastal environments.
A Vision Born Under Prince Rainier III
The AMPN was founded in 1975 at the request of Prince Rainier III, who believed Monaco should make a meaningful contribution to safeguarding the Mediterranean Sea. Within a year, the association established the Larvotto Marine Protected Area, protecting the Principality’s only Posidonia seagrass meadow, a habitat often described as the “lungs of the Mediterranean” because of its crucial role in supporting marine biodiversity and storing carbon.
In 1986, protection expanded to include the Spélugues marine reserve, preserving Monaco’s unique coralligenous reef ecosystem. Together, these protected areas have become internationally recognised examples of successful conservation in one of the world’s most densely developed coastlines.
Fifty Years Through the Lens
Rather than simply displaying beautiful underwater photography, the exhibition follows six themes that have defined the AMPN’s work over five decades:
Protecting, Managing, Restoring, Studying, Innovating and Educating.
Historic archive images sit alongside contemporary photographs, illustrating how Monaco’s marine environment, and the methods used to safeguard it, have evolved over time.
Visitors follow the journey from the early establishment of protected zones to today’s sophisticated ecological monitoring programmes, learning how conservation has become increasingly science-driven while remaining accessible to the wider public.
Innovation Beneath the Waves
One chapter of the exhibition highlights one of Monaco’s most celebrated environmental achievements.
In 2017, the AMPN helped install six artificial reefs created using large-scale 3D printing technology within the Larvotto Marine Protected Area. Manufactured from environmentally friendly materials including dolomite sand and volcanic ash, the structures were designed to replicate the complexity of natural rocky habitats while encouraging marine life to recolonise degraded areas. At the time, they represented the world’s largest 3D-printed reefs of their kind.
Nearly a decade later, ongoing scientific monitoring has shown the reefs are flourishing. Marine biologists continue to document the colonisation of algae, sponges, corals and fish communities, with several rare Mediterranean species now established on the structures. The research also provides valuable insight into how marine ecosystems are adapting to climate change and warming seas.
A Hotel Connected to the Sea
Few venues could be more appropriate for the exhibition than Le Méridien Beach Plaza.
The hotel is unique in Monaco as the Principality’s only property with its own private beach, directly bordering the Larvotto Marine Protected Area. Guests are therefore only metres away from an ecosystem inhabited by groupers, moray eels, lobsters, octopus and countless smaller Mediterranean species.
Over recent years, the partnership between the hotel and the AMPN has extended well beyond the exhibition walls. Joint initiatives have included beach and seabed clean-ups, educational programmes for children, environmental awareness activities for guests and staff, responsible management of water sports, and support for conservation projects throughout the year.
Where Culture Meets Conservation
The exhibition also reflects Le Méridien’s wider philosophy that travel should inspire curiosity beyond the destination itself.
Through its Méridien Hub cultural programme, the hotel regularly hosts artistic and cultural experiences that connect visitors with Monaco’s heritage. Guests also benefit from the brand’s Unlock Art™ programme, which provides complimentary access to exhibitions at the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco simply by presenting their room key.
In this case, the focus is not on paintings or sculpture, but on something equally valuable, the remarkable marine world that exists just beneath the Mediterranean’s surface.
For visitors, the exhibition offers an opportunity to appreciate how decades of patient scientific work, innovative thinking and community involvement have helped ensure that Monaco’s underwater heritage remains as vibrant as the skyline above it.
