June 6–8, 2026 · Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle — Paris
Neptune: The Blue Planet in Paris
On the occasion of World Ocean Day, Paris becomes — for one weekend — the capital of ocean exploration. At the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and the Jardin des Plantes, Mission Neptune offers the public a free programme blending cinema, science, exploration and imagination, alongside the Neptune Forum on Monday 8 June, a major international gathering devoted to the Ocean as a planetary system of life and cooperation.
Ocean Dreams
Exploring Planet Ocean
June 6, 7 & 8 — 10am to 6pm
Museum entrance at 36 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Free and open to all
With Ocean Dreams, in the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution and the Jardin des Plantes, the public is invited on an immersive journey: from the Amazon to the Ocean, three venues become chapters of a single story. A photography exhibition, an exploration film festival and live encounters weave knowledge and emotion together, recalling one truth — we all belong to a single living world on our Ocean Planet.
Neptune Explorers Cinema
Ocean exploration films and stories
Auditorium of the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution
Botos, Spirits of the Amazon
Photographic installations
Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, beneath the whales
Ocean Dreams – Stories of Hope
Immersive projection
Neptune Explorers Dome
8 June: The Neptune Forum
Exploring the Blue Planet
Amphithéâtre Verniquet — Jardin des Plantes entrance, 47 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris
By invitation only
Convening in Paris one year after UNOC3 in Nice, on the occasion of the United Nations World Ocean Day, the Neptune Forum is a high-level global gathering organised by Mission Neptune.
Conceived as a 'Davos of Ocean Exploration', it invites leaders, heads of scientific institutions, explorers, philanthropists, economic actors, experts and creators to address one central political question: how do we build a new international cooperation in service of life through the Ocean — a planetary system and a global commons for humanity?
Programme & speakers — June 8, 2026
The programme is being updated on an ongoing basis, please consult it regularly for updates on the speakers.
View speakers
8.30am - 10am
Blue Diplomacy
For a sustainable and equitable planet
Opening
- Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs — Opening address: The Ocean, a new diplomatic frontier?
Master of ceremony
- Ambassador for the Ocean and the Poles, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic
8.45am
The High Seas, from freedom to responsibility: the BBNJ Momentum
Speakers
- Former President of the BBNJ negotiations
- Chief Executive Officer, Mercator Ocean International
- Senior Strategic Adviser, High Seas Alliance
9.05am
The deep sea: multilateral governance grounded in the best available science
Speakers
- Secretary-General, ISA
- President, MBARI Oceanography
- Campaign Director, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
9.45am
Governing the Ocean as a planetary common good
Speakers
- Chair of the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters" — Vice-President, Europe Jacques Delors
- President, CNRS
- French Minister for the Sea and Fisheries
- Costas KadisEuropean Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans
9.25am
Decarbonising globalisation: shipping facing the climate challenge
Speakers
- Secretary-General, IMO
- Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Fiji
- Secretary-General, UNCTAD
10am - 12.30pm
Neptune in the Making
First Mission Neptune expeditions, first Neptune Fellowship recipients and unveiling of the Neptune Immersive Galleries. With the founding scientists and philanthropists of Mission Neptune, the Board of Trustees and the co-chairs of the Mission Neptune Scientific Council.
Master of ceremony
- Managing Director, Mission Neptune and Deputy Special Envoy
- Teodora StojilkovicPublic Policy Officer, Mission Neptune
10am - 10.15am
Opening
Speakers
- French Minister for the Sea and Fisheries
- European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans
- Chairman & CEO, IFREMER; co-chair of the Mission Neptune Board
- President, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
10.15am - 11am
Mission Neptune Expeditions, take off!
Introduction
- President & CEO, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI); co-chair, Mission Neptune
- Deputy CEO for Strategy, IFREMER; Scientific Director, Mission Neptune
Speakers
- Scientific Director, REV Ocean
- Co-CEO and Chief Scientist, OceanX
- Executive Director, Tara Ocean Foundation
- Daniela ZeppilliHead of the Deep Environment Laboratory (BEEP), IFREMER
11am - 11.45am
New generation of research and voices — Neptune Research Fellows & Academic Chairs
Introduction
- Director Emerita, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; co-chair, Mission Neptune Scientific Council
- Former Executive Secretary, IOC-UNESCO; co-chair, Mission Neptune Scientific Council
Speakers
- Neptune Fellow — Blue Carbon Sinks programme, MBARI
- Neptune Fellow — Polar Ocean programme, MBARI
- Neptune Fellow — Ocean Abundance programme, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Neptune Fellow — Hydrothermal Vents programme, MBARI (introduced in absentia)
- Director, Global Ocean Policy, IUCN
- Dr. Ali Hilal AlnaqbiChancellor, Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, Khorfakkan University
- Researcher, IFREMER
- Délégation de l'Académie Royale du MarocDelegation of the Royal Academy of Morocco
11.45am - 12.30pm
Culture and public engagement: the Neptune Explorers' Galleries
Introduction
- Founder, Voice of the Ocean; Mission Neptune Patron
- Sanna JohansenCEO, Voice of the Ocean; member of the Mission Neptune Executive Board
Speakers
- Deputy CEO, Institut océanographique de Monaco
- Honorary President, The Explorers Club
- Director, Avatar Alliance Foundation
- Explorer, Chair of Neptune Communities
- Glaciologist, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Secretariat
12.30pm - 2pm
Break
2pm - 6.30pm
Exploration and knowledge as the foundation of cooperation for Planet Ocean
Opening by Philippe Baptiste, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space
Master of ceremony
- Ambassador for the Ocean and the Poles, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic
- Managing Director, Mission Neptune and Deputy Special Envoy
2pm - 2.30pm
Planet Ocean
A global live multiplex linking oceans, science missions, coastal territories and space.
Speakers
- At sea — Neptune Fellow, postdoctoral researcher MBARI, Schmidt Ocean Institute and National Geographic
- Depuis l'espaceIntervention from space
- OceanXFrom an OceanX submersible
- Professeur Minhan DaiChina, Xiamen — Xiamen University
- Kenya, Mombasa — Chair of IPBES, Director of CORDIO East Africa
- Singapore — Chairman, Tsao Pao Chee Group
- AntarctiqueIntervention from Antarctica
2.30pm - 3pm
Inaugural address: The Ocean Nexus, from Green to Blue Deal
By Jeremy Rifkin
Opening
- Jeremy RifkinFounder and President, Foundation on Economic Trends
3pm - 4.45pm
At the frontiers of the unknown
3pm - 3.15pm
Framing perspective
Opening
- Founder, Mission Blue
3.15pm - 3.40pm
Ocean intelligence through exploration, innovation and shared data
Introduction
- Introduction and moderation — Executive Director, Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO)
Speakers
- Director, OceanOmics and Ecosystem Intelligence, Minderoo
- Director, Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)
- Senior Adviser for Ocean Science for Policy, Mercator Ocean International
- Director, Healthy Planet, European Commission
3.40pm - 4.15pm
Ocean, climate and planetary stability
Introduction
- President & CEO, MBARI
Speakers
- Director, Ocean Institute, Sorbonne Université
- Associate Professor, Stockholm Resilience Centre
- Executive Director, Ocean & Climate Platform
4.10pm - 4.45pm
From space to the abyss — the continuity of exploration
Introduction
- Director Emerita, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Speakers
- Co-founder and Chairman, Solar Impulse Foundation
- François JacqPresident, CNES
4.45pm - 5pm
Break
5pm - 6.30pm
The Living Ocean
5pm - 5.15pm
Illustrated address by Prince Hussain Aga Khan
« Our Living Ocean »
Opening
- Photographer, ocean advocate
5.15pm - 5.50pm
Peoples, cultures and knowledge of the Ocean
Introduction
- Deputy Director for Research, Expertise, Valorisation and Education, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
Speakers
- Navigator and Chief Executive, Polynesian Voyaging Society
- Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Fiji
- Senior Researcher, CRIOBE; Ocean Adviser, CNRS
5.50pm - 6.30pm
International governance in a fragmented world
Introduction
- Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Citizens Abroad
Speakers
- President, Europe Jacques Delors
- Executive Secretary, IOC-UNESCO
- Secretary-General, UNCTAD
- Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization
6.30pm - 7pm
High-level conclusion
Closing address by the European Commission, followed by remarks from the Mission Neptune governance — Patrons, Board of Trustees, Co-Chairs of the Mission and the Scientific Council.
Closing
- Commission européenneClosing address
- French Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Climate and Nature Negotiations
Three venues, one journey
Ocean Dreams and the Neptune Forum unfold across three emblematic venues of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, in the heart of the Jardin des Plantes and the 5th arrondissement of Paris — all just a few minutes' walk from one another.
Grande Galerie de l'Évolution
Neptune Explorers Cinema · Botos exhibition
36 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, 75005 Paris
Program Ocean Dreams — Saturday 6, Sunday 7, and Monday 8 June · 10am - 6pm · Free admission via the Muséum's online ticketing
Open in Google MapsEsplanade Milne Edwards (Jardin des Plantes)
Neptune Explorers Dome: immersive projection of OCEAN DREAMS — Stories of Hope
36 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, 75005 Paris
Screenings: Saturday 6, Sunday 7 and Monday 8 June · 10am - 6pm Free admission via the Muséum's online ticketing
Open in Google MapsAmphithéâtre Verniquet — Jardin des Plantes
Neptune Forum: all day on 8 June
47 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris
Open in Google Maps
Partners & Supporters
Founding Partners of Mission Neptune
Mission Partners
Global Ocean Partners
Mission Neptune supports the operational deployment of OceanEye, within the European Ocean Pact, in partnership with GOOS and Mercator Ocean International.
Institutional Partners
Practical Information
Transport
Metro / RER
- Ligne 5 — Gare d'Austerlitz
- Ligne 7 — Censier–Daubenton
- Ligne 10 — Jussieu / Gare d'Austerlitz
- RER C — Gare d'Austerlitz
Bus
Lignes 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, 91
Train
- Gare de Lyon — 23 min walk · 19 min by taxi
- Gare d'Austerlitz — 12 min walk · 5 min by taxi
Parking(9)
Visitor parking is not available at the Jardin des Plantes. Nearest public car parks:
Parking Paris 5 — Jardin des Plantes
25 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 75005 Paris
1 min walk from the Museum
Open 24/7
Parking Institut du Monde Arabe
1 rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris
10 min walk from the Museum
Open 24/7
OnePark Gare d'Austerlitz
6 rue de l'Essai, 75005 Paris
4 min walk from the Museum
Mon–Fri 8am - 9pm · Sat 9am - 9pm · Closed Sunday
Parking Saemes Lagrange–Maubert
19 rue Lagrange, 75005 Paris
14 min walk from the Museum
Open 24/7
Parking Saemes Maubert — Collège des Bernardins
37 boulevard Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris
11 min walk from the Museum
Open 24/7
Paripark Panthéon
15 rue Censier, 75005 Paris
2 min walk from the Museum
Open 24/7
Parking de Paris
12 rue Censier, 75005 Paris
2 min walk from the Museum
Open 24/7, except Fridays
Parking Autocité Patriarches
4-6 place Bernard Halpern, 75005 Paris
6 min walk from the Museum
Open 24/7
Garage de l'Essai
4-6 rue de l'Essai, 75005 Paris
4 min walk from the Museum
Mon–Sat 8am - 7pm · Closed Sunday
Hotels(17)
Selected hotels close to the Museum (Latin Quarter / Jardin des Plantes):
Hôtel du Jardin des Plantes★★
5 rue Linné, 75005 Paris
2 min walk from the Museum
Jussieu, lines 7 and 10
Website ↗Hôtel Libertel Austerlitz – Jardin des Plantes★★
12 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75005 Paris
2 min walk from the Museum
Gare d'Austerlitz, lines 5 and 10, RER C
Website ↗Hôtel Maxim Quartier Latin★★★
28 rue Censier, 75005 Paris
4 min walk from the Museum
Censier–Daubenton, line 7
Website ↗Hôtel Saint-Christophe★★★
17 rue Lacépède, 75005 Paris
5 min walk from the Museum
Place Monge, line 7
Best Western Quartier Latin Panthéon★★★
71 rue Monge, 75005 Paris
5 min walk from the Museum
Place Monge, line 7
Website ↗Hôtel des Arènes★★★
51 rue Monge, 75005 Paris
6 min walk from the Museum
Place Monge, line 7
Website ↗Hôtel des Nations Saint-Germain★★★
54 rue Monge, 75005 Paris
6 min walk from the Museum
Jussieu (7/10), Place Monge (7), Cardinal Lemoine (10)
Website ↗Hôtel de France Quartier Latin★★
108 rue Monge, 75005 Paris
6 min walk from the Museum
Censier–Daubenton, line 7
Website ↗Hôtel Minerve★★★
13 rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris
8 min walk from the Museum
Jussieu, lines 7 and 10
Website ↗Hôtel Monge★★★★
55 rue Monge, 75005 Paris
8 min walk from the Museum
Place Monge (7), Cardinal Lemoine (10)
Website ↗Hôtel de l'Espérance★★
15 rue Pascal, 75005 Paris
9 min walk from the Museum
Censier–Daubenton, line 7
Website ↗Hôtel des Grandes Écoles★★★
75 rue du Cardinal Lemoine, 75005 Paris
9 min walk from the Museum
Cardinal Lemoine (10), Place Monge (7)
Website ↗Le Port-Royal Hôtel
8 boulevard de Port-Royal, 75005 Paris
10 min walk from the Museum
Les Gobelins, line 7
Website ↗Hôtel Le M Saint-Germain★★★
33 rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris
11 min walk from the Museum
Maubert–Mutualité, line 10
Website ↗Hôtel Les Bulles de Paris★★★★
32 rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris
12 min walk from the Museum
Maubert–Mutualité, line 10
Website ↗Hôtel du Jeu de Paume★★★★
54 rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île, 75004 Paris
14 min walk from the Museum
Pont Marie, line 7
Website ↗Le Jardin de Verre by Locke★★★★
7 rue Lacépède, 75005 Paris
5 min walk from the Museum
Place Monge, line 7
Website ↗
Taxi & ride-hailing(3)
Taxi stands nearby:
Gobelins taxi stand
88 boulevard Saint-Marcel, 75005 Paris
8 min walk from the Museum
01 43 31 00 00Tournelle taxi stand
13 quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris
11 min walk from the Museum
01 79 75 79 87Monge taxi stand
2 place Monge, 75005 Paris
16 min walk from the Museum
01 45 87 15 95
Booking: G7 (+33 1 41 27 66 99), Bolt, Uber, FREENOW.