The Lunar Hatch project aims to blast eggs into space hoping that aquaculture will provide protein for astronauts on missions they will produce offspring that will be the first to be launched into space as part of a scientific project called Lunar Hatch that is exploring whether sea bass can be farmed on the moon – and eventually Mars – as food for future astronauts The project is the brainchild of Dr Cyrille Przybyla a researcher in marine biology for the French National Institute for Ocean Research who will be watching their progress like any anxious parent “Fish is an excellent source of protein because it is the animal organism that we digest the best and it has omega 3 and important B vitamins that will be needed for astronauts in space to maintain muscle mass,” Przybyla says “The question was: how can we produce food that far away?” the fish will simply be observed before being frozen and returned to Earth but eventually the idea is that they will be farmed on the moon Przybyla is confident that should the world’s space agencies decide to build a moon base Lunar Hatch will be able to put sea bass on the menu at least twice a week The first “aquastronauts” to make the journey were tiny fish known as mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) sent into orbit on one of the Apollo missions in 1973 unremarkable creatures had rarely ventured far from brackish creeks and coastal waters or salt marshes Dr Cyrille Przybyla. Photograph: Cyrille Przybyla/lfremerThree years later, two Soyuz astronauts carried out a series of experiments with an aquarium of guppies in the Salyut Soviet space laboratory In 2015, zebrafish were sent to the ISS to investigate how muscles atrophy in microgravity, while in April last year the Chinese sent several zebrafish to its Tiangong space station. Other missions have transported oyster toadfish, swordtails, medakas, guppies and goldfish. But this is the first time they could actually be farmed and used as a regular food source for astronauts. Przybyla says Lunar Hatch’s ultimate aim is to create a “closed-loop food chain” on the moon, using a series of compartments. The first tanks will be filled with water from ice found at the bottom of craters at the moon’s poles. The wastewater produced by fish in these tanks will be used to produce micro-algae that can then be used to feed filtering organisms, including bivalves, or zooplankton would collect some of the waste. The faeces from the sea bass in the first tank would, meanwhile, be treated by shrimps and worms that would in turn be food for the fish. “The aim of Lunar Hatch is to have no waste,” Przybyla says. “Everything is recycled through an aquaculture system that would have to be autonomous for four to five months.” The team has calculated that to provide two portions of fish each week for seven astronauts on a mission lasting 16 weeks, about 200 sea bass would be needed. As well as the 200 fertilised sea bass eggs sent into space, another 200 siblings produced by the fish at Palavas-les-Flots will be kept as a control group. The path from slightly eccentric idea to the stage of development Przybyla’s project has reached today has taken almost a decade. In 2016, the European Space Agency asked the scientific community for ideas for their future lunar base called the Moon Village. They liked Przybyla’s proposal and, at the end of 2018, he received his first funding from the Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES) the French national space agency. The initial step was to establish whether the fertilised fish eggs could withstand being shaken about during a space launch; the nearby University of Montpellier’s Space Centre agreed to simulate the propulsion of a Russian Soyuz rocket on its equipment used to test satellite prototypes. “Soyuz makes the most vibrations at lift-off compared with other launchers. We used two species and embryos at two different stages and we saw the vibrations didn’t affect their development,” Przybyla says. “Then we looked at what else could disturb the fish cells on their journey, including hypergravity induced by acceleration and cosmic radiation and whether they would continue to form or whether their DNA and development would be affected.” Read moreSo far the results obtained at Palavas-les-Flots are positive “We’ve done all the possible simulations we can do on the ground so the goal now is to have a space mission to verify that data and so we can examine the difference between a control group of fish siblings that remain on the Earth,” he says He and his juvenile sea bass must wait until CNES and Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida find him a place on a mission we can’t say when that will be but we hope it will be in the near future.” Since announcing the Lunar Hatch programme the Chinese have revealed they too are carrying out research into closed circuit aquaculture systems that could be used on their space station – so the race is on Sea bass eggs at 70 and 73 hours of development. The fish will travel to the moon at embryo stage, with hatching scheduled to taker place upon arrival. Photograph: D Dutto/lfremerFor those who are more concerned about life on Earth, Przybyla says the Lunar Hatch programme has an equally vital application here. “What we have done is converted a system we have been working on for the Earth to the moon,” he says. “On Earth, this recycled circular loop aquaculture is important not only for preservation of the environment but also for economic durability. The same principle that applies for the moon could be used to feed isolated communities.” FranceChevron Olena Didevska/GettySave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links a part of the country—but the islands of Île de Ré in the Bay of Biscay and Belle-Île-en-Mer in Brittany prove that there's more to France's stunningly beautiful geography than meets the eye This gallery has been updated since its original publish date rock-free sand; and gentle afternoon breezes Stay here: Run by the same family since the 1970s, Grand Hôtel de Cala Rossa has the lively everyone-knows-everyone vibe of a sprawling beachfront villa with white-stucco domed ceilings and its own lick of oceanfront real estate dotted with sunbeds and parasols but you can bring along a car onto the boat thin inlets lined by natural rocks like limestone and there are few more beautiful examples than the ones near Cassis—sitting pretty along the Mediterranean and offsetting the bright teal water but be aware that this stretch of sand is better known for its sightseeing than its swimming Stay here: The gorgeous Hôtel Les Roches Blanches sits near the beaches of Cassis town and the calanques are a within a short hike away Calanque de Port-Miou will take you just a 15-minute walk How to get there: The closest big city to Cassis is Marseille; the two are separated by just a 45-minute drive by car (or a 1.5-hour bus ride). Marseille, one of our Best Places to Go in 2025 is accessible directly via plane from many cities in Europe and of course by high-speed train from Paris (and even London) French RivieraAbout halfway between Cannes and Nice Antibes is home to a peninsula that juts out into the sea Nothing quite captures the essence of the Riviera quite like watching superyachts pass by your sunbathing spot Stay here: The top choice for a resort in Antibes is none other than the utterly sumptuous Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, a name practically synonymous with French-Riviera glamour; it was also included in our 2024 Gold List of editor-favorite hotels around the world How to get there: From Paris, take the TGV from Gare de Lyon to Antibes; the ride will take you the entire afternoon, but will also let you soak up scenes of the French countryside. From Nice (many international airlines fly seasonal routes to this city) you can take the regional train to Antibes—it takes just 25 minutes Stay here: Everything about Hôtel du Palais Biarritz (a Gold List 2023 winner) is befitting of its ritzy address from the frescoed ballroom to the beach air wafting directly into the guest rooms How to get there: Biarritz Pays Basque Airport (BIQ) has nonstop connections to cities all over western Europe, from Dublin to Stockholm getting to Biarritz from Paris takes just four hours; catch a ride at Gare Montparnasse Stay here: La Ferme Saint Simeon a Relais & Chateaux hotel in a former artist's colony (the region is the birthplace of Impressionism) is just an hour away from the beach at Étretat a very cool port city that's worth checking out as well; it sits across the Crique de Rouen (the mouth of the Seine!) from Le Havre How to get there: Teeny tiny Étretat is about three hours by car from Paris If you want to get there by public transport take the TER from the capital (buy your ticket at Saint-Lazare) to Le Havre—the ride takes about two and a half hours—then catch a bus to the pebbly shores Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratThe Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula near Nice is a playground for European elites: There’s a Rothschild estate complete with sprawling gardens and a beach named for Paloma Picasso Walk a steep staircase down to the rocky shore and be rewarded with wide Stay here: More like an opulent seaside palace, Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel, a mainstay of our Readers’ Choice Awards effortlessly combines old-school glamour with unpretentious hire a chauffeur—and travel 30 minutes to this exclusive little peninsula that juts out into the Mediterranean casual feel—perfect for toting a picnic and riding a bike How to get there: Whether you're coming from Cannes, Nice, Marseille, or tiny Toulon, you'll have to take a ferry from Port de la Tour Fondue on the Giens peninsula. From there, travel time to the Porquerolles Island is just 15 minutes—just be sure to book your ticket early especially if you're visiting in the summer season a beach lined with cliffs and dunes with tidal pools to explore at low tide Stay here: Make time to book plenty of hydrotherapy treatments at Castel Clara a Relais & Chateaux property perched on a clifftop on the island’s southwest coast you have to take a boat to Belle-Île from Quiberon a small French commune on a peninsula of the same name Belle-Île perhaps belongs best on an itinerary that hits all of these places as it's a bit too involved as a day trip from the capital.) where you can cross those famous pools in your bare feet Stay here: The grand estate of Château d’Audrieu is surprisingly perfect for families How to get there: Getting to Normandy from Paris, a car is the simplest option; the drive takes about four hours—time it right (and depending on the time of year), you'll catch the bay at low tide during sunset Cap Coz has a string of small beaches that are never crowded Start walking on the peninsula’s hiking path along the Breton Riviera and you’ll easily see the entire rocky coastline complete with sheltered bays great for afternoon swims Stay here: If you want to stay close to the cape, the Hôtel Belle Vue in Fouesnant is a sweet little mom-and-pop where the owners personally greet you when you arrive How to get there: The nearest big city is Quimper; it's a 30-minute drive from Cap Coz Quimper is a cool little spot—check out the twin Gothic spires of the Quimper Cathedral and the town's Faience Museum featuring its distinctive faience pottery—just four hours by TGV from the French capital but keep an eye out for the now-abandoned German bunker from World War II Stay here: You can’t beat the port-side location of Hotel de Toiras—and the uniquely decorated rooms overlooking the garden certainly don’t hurt either connected to the mainland by Pont de l'île de Ré is roughly equidistant from both Nantes and Bordeaux both about two hours away by car (both cities are easily accessible from Paris by high-speed train) You can take a plane into either city from many European capitals you may as well book a ticket to Aéroport La Rochelle (LRH) who opened her first clothing store here in 1913 beach-inspired looks put both her—and the town’s lovely boardwalk lined with cute boutiques and ice cream vendors—on the map forever Stay here: Conveniently located between Deauville and Honfleur, Hôtel La Chaumière is a family-owned stunner with smartly decorated rooms and a glass-walled yoga studio How to get there: This beach is belongs to the tiny city of Trouville-sur-Mer (population: about 4,600), which you can easily reach by car or train from Paris. The travel time takes about two and a half hours, making it a nice beach day trip from Paris especially in the summer when you want to escape the city heat—and crowds BrittanyThere’s no place in northwestern Brittany that’s quite as breathtaking as the Côte de Granit Rose (or the Pink Granite Coast) a coastline dotted with spectacular granite rock formations The geology ranges from massive rose gold boulders to eroded pink sand all contrasted beautifully against the gray foam of the sea Stay here: Located in the heart of the Côte de Granit Rose, L’Agapa Hôtel Spa is a stylish place to rest up—and maybe grab a massage or two—between beach visits How to get there: This part of Brittany is about five hours by car away from Paris so it's relatively straightforward if you've your own wheels your best bet would be to take the four-hour TGV ride from Paris to the port city of Brest spending a night or two there before hiring a car for the short drive to the Pink Granite Coast the island of Port-Cros is paradise for yacht owners Visit in September for the best weather and water conditions Stay here: Hôtel Le Manoir is an ideal spot to live out your ultimate Provençal fantasies—grilled lobster and crème brûlée included How to get there: Port-Cros is just a 45-minute ferry from Le Port d'Hyères Get to Toulon via the TGV from Paris (4 hours) or Marseille (45 minutes) MontpellierOn a narrow peninsula about four miles from Montpellier is Palavas-les-Flots a beach so beloved by the French that there’s a song about it in the Oscar-nominated film The Triplets of Belleville Palavas-les-Flots is an easy spot to rent a kayak Stay here: Hôtel Richer de Belleval (a Relais & Château) gave Montpellier a major luxury boost when it opened in 2021 boasting 15 dreamy rooms and contemporary Mediterranean cuisine How to get there: Montpellier is an easy TGV ride from Paris, clocking in at about three and a half hours. You can also fly in: Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport (MPL) has direct connections to London-Gatwick, Frankfurt, Rome How to get there: This beach is just 10 minutes away by car from Saint-Tropez proper which is best accessed from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE) MarseilleIf you prefer your beach holiday to also include a city break head to Marseille (the second biggest city in France) and spend a day at the Prado Beaches a group of three beaches that are easily accessible from the city center and great for families with kids Keep an eye out for the replica of Michelangelo’s David Stay here: Tuba Club numbers among France’s most talked-about openings of the past few years—try your luck at nabbing one of only five cozy How to get there: Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) has plenty of direct and one-stop connection options thanks to Air France; by train from Paris, it's just a touch over three hours away. up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world The famous Alpha Jets of the Patrouille de France arrive on the Hérault coast for a summer display tourists and other aviation enthusiasts in the region can watch a training session for the Patrouille de France pilots The afternoon will be much more extravagant starting with an orchestrated aerobatics performance on board three Extra 300 It will then be time for a display by the North American OV-10 Bronco a legendary aircraft which was involved in the conflict conducted by the United States in Vietnam as well as the fight against drug traffickers in Colombia the Alpha Jets of the Patrouille de France will join the runway with acrobatics that are each more spectacular than the last vacationers will have the opportunity to visit the mobile stage as well as the Patrouille de France store Patrouille de France Air Show in Palavas-les-Flots We will remember your choice for a period of one year. 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and created a seaside-bright, white-cubed hotel here. ‘We’re country boys from the Aveyron,’ says Guy who potters around the garden without anyone spotting him ‘It made us happy to return to a place where we spent our childhood summer holidays.’ They aren’t alone – there’s even a sugary pop song tootling the simple pleasures of the town View from the bedrooms at Plage Palace, Palavas-les-FlotsAlex ProfitThis is probably the only smart place to stay on the whole stretch from Marseille to Perpignan where it’s possible to tumble out of bed and straight onto a sea-shell-scattered private scoop of properly soft sand there are widescreen views of the sky as kitesurfers scud past plus the ever-present muted soundtrack of lapping waves Montpellier’s movers and shakers may be heading for languid seafood lunches and craft cocktails in the Imaad Rahmouni-designed beach club But for now it remains a refreshingly low-key hangout Small hotels in the South of France The best hotels in the South of FranceGallery19 SlidesBy Sarah James and Lanie GoodmanView SlideshowThe 10 most beautiful beaches in the South of France The 19 most beautiful beaches in the South of FranceGallery19 SlidesBy Rachel Everett and Katie DaileyView SlideshowFrench Riviera travel itinerary Jean-Louis Costes has opened a 5 star in Palavas les Flots has just opened its doors at the head of the most popular seashore in France and kingdom of the camping is ideally located 5 minutes from the airport and the new TGV train station of Montpellier linked to the Gare de Lyon in 3h flat In other words: the promise of a slice of Mediterranean not far from Paris… and without a car The perfect petit weekend hop for Parisians on the lookout for sun As always Costesapplies the successful recipe Enjoy the ecosystem of this very unusual 5 star imagined with Agence Buttazzoni all thought out as “huts” with terrace-salons sheltered from indiscrete onlookers and a curtain to live outdoors peacefully Everything has been thought out to recall the holidays: parquet in white wood and bed with view fresh water: the mini-bar is free just like breakfast eggs prepared in front of you “as you wish,” mango The high of a “standard” Costes by the sea is to find all their best-sellers With obviously a perfectly organized restaurant where the must-eats of the house are on deck (perfect stick fries a chateaubriand with a pepper sauce or pasta with tomato sauce …) And lets not forget local specialties: rougets and fish galore pre-reserved deluxe deck chairs await the hotel clientele two bars whipping up fab cocktails and good sound as well as the possibility of lunch or having drinks while lounging on the mattresses: a large pizza Also checkout the most stylish festivals to discover this summer 10 off-road dresses you absolutely must put on this winter Hotels with rooftop that make our head spin in Paris 12 turn-key looks to be in the spotlight at a wedding The 5 New Parisian Boutiques You Absolutely Need to Check Out Glucose Goddess: Jessie Inchauspé's Revolutionary Method Bacha: a coffee shop worthy of the 1,001 nights Three New Italian Restaurants to Try Right Away Where to Indulge in an Insane Strawberry Tart The most beautiful committed florists in Paris on a short circuit The concept store Merci opens a sublime 2nd space Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker local divers reported a ghost net measuring approximately 2000m² abandoned by poachers in Le Coulombray a popular diving site off the Mediterranean coast of Palavas les Flots (near Marseille the authorities had only offered vague promises to remove the net which has been stifling everything beneath it so Sea Shepherd’s divers began pulling it up themselves this month as part of Operation Mare Nostrum an ongoing campaign to remove ghost nets from the Mediterranean Sea the French authorities issued a press release expressing their disapproval and possible charges against Sea Shepherd This is the response from Sea Shepherd France President Lamya Essemlali the French Department of Maritime Affairs (Direction Départementale des Territoires et de la Mer or DDTM) made a public statement expressing “strong regret” that Sea Shepherd started removing the deadly ghost net of Coulombray despite the DDTM’s announcement that they would start removal themselves the end of September Sea Shepherd “regrets” that the DDTM has waited almost a year since the first report of the net’s existence before considering its hypothetical removal (as per their use of the conditional "could be removed by September") This 2000m² ghost net has had time to kill everything beneath it it continues trapping marine wildlife today (we have the images to prove this) but this isn’t the case since its owner knows very well where it is If the principle of “the polluter pays” doesn’t seem to interest the State in its press release against Sea Shepherd it came up with the original idea of “the cleaner pays” in their sudden interest in preserving the site the DDTM announced that it would send divers to inspect the area after our passage to possibly press charges against Sea Shepherd if we damaged the diving site while removing the net We'd like to remind the representatives of the State services concerned that Sea Shepherd is an NGO whose mission is to "Preserve the fauna and flora of marine habitats" saving lives and preserving ocean ecosystems is we have removed dozens of ghost nets with one obsession: save as many lives as possible and preserve the marine habitat Our net removal protocols have been created with this goal in mind while guaranteeing the safety of our divers We film all of our net removal operations and have the videos to attest this and – an important detail to note – volunteers Our services are free of charge and will not be invoiced to the State such as the case with government contractors hired to do the job We take particular care to remove these deadly nets at our own expense and under optimal safety conditions Therefore we were expecting something more than a hostile reaction on the part of those whose primary responsibility it is to rid the site of this death machine We remain skeptical when the DDTM declares that it will assume additional restoration operations of the site after our passage in case of deterioration Do they intend to cultivate sea sponges and bryozoan The only thing the site needs is to be rid of this net that’s stifling it Our team has already removed 200m² of net (10% of the total area) and we were pleased to see that small sea animals have already returned to the area we liberated during our first dive We would be delighted if the DDTM's sudden interest in preserving the site is sincere and is nothing more than a mere knee-jerk reaction by the competent authorities faced with their incompetence to react within a reasonable timeframe if the DDTM intends to pay divers to inspect the result of our work once the net is removed why not send them now so they can lend a hand to our teams who will have to work for several days on this net we know to accept it without the sin of pride The sooner we have freed the Coulombray from this ghost net the sooner we can be on our way to find others that need removing Thanks also to our volunteers and donors who help us to be effective and responsive to emergencies Read the original article, in French, here: Filet Fantôme du Coulombray UPDATE AUG 12: The local authorities finally come around to working together with Sea Shepherd. Read the article here On a roundabout on the avenue lining the Mediterranean seafront at Palavas-les-Flots a seaside holiday resort close to the town of Montpellier in southern France a notice board sets out the local municipality’s rules for „better living together“ These include the wearing of „correct“ clothing in town the exhortation to not ride mopeds or motorbikes on the pavement and to not indulge in loud behaviour – because „noise is a form of pollution and aggression“ But it makes no recommendation that holidaymakers leave their cars behind in favour of walking or using public transport nor does it urge property developers to stop building on the remaining plots of land between the apartment buildings standing just a few metres from the seafront This major resort of the Languedoc region lies on a narrow sandy strip of land about 30 kilometres long that stands as a barrier between small lagoons to the north and the open Mediterranean Sea on its south side the permanent population of just more than 6,000 is bloated by tens of thousands of tourists during the summer months largely accommodated in sprawling modern apartment buildings that overlook the beaches and a marina with more than 1,000 berths which is one of the principal residential arteries of Palavas-les-Flots is there any attempt to draw public attention to coastal erosion the sea swept inland for a distance of about 50 metres from the beach finding passers-by to talk about the threat of flooding appeared to be a vain hope but the only pedestrian to be met along the avenue But out on the jetty was a woman who said she remembered that last winter the seawater reached the roundabout on the main avenue She pointed at the low walls made of wood that surround the entrances to the houses along the sandy seafront In 2012, the French public agency for the management of surface and sub-surface resources and risks, the BRGM (or „French geological survey“ carried out a study of the vulnerability to sea flooding of the coastline around Palavas-les-Flots In their modelling projection of the effects on the town of rising sea levels they notably took into account the events of 1982 They found that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate and that global warming increases above a further 2°Celsius the consequences for Palavas-les-Flots by 2100 will be considerable These include saltwater pollution of coastal aquifers the disappearance of the beaches (and the entire commercial activity dependent upon them) and a modification of the lagoons that lie behind the town “Palavas-les-Flots lies on a low-lying sandy base which has already encountered problems from coastal erosion like a large part of the Languedoc region’s coast“ a BRGM engineer specialised in coastal erosion risks „The vulnerability of these beaches to marine submersion is already high during storm conditions The rise in the sea level at Palavas-les-Flots currently averages three millimetres per year a rate that is impossible to recognise with the naked eye But it compares with an estimated average annual rise over the previous 6,000 years of one millimetre per year This relative surge in sea levels accentuates the risk of erosion caused by heavy swells The risk has become a major problem because of the recent artificial development of the natural coastline and also the depletion of the amount of sediment that spills into the Mediterranean from the south-running Rhône river as a consequence of the construction of dams along its course “When one looks at the retreat of the Atlantic or Mediterranean coastlines they suffer from the effects of erosion and storms“ a researcher in coastal marine geology at the University of La Rochelle in south-west France „The contribution made by the rise in the sea level is today very little with regard to the sedimentary dynamics the more the glaciers will melt into the oceans.Meanwhile and the more the sea rises the more the beaches erode if the sea rises by 30 centimetres during a storm the inland flooding will be significantly more extensive while if the sea rises by a metre the whole of the town centre would be under water According to estimations produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change the scientific body that works under the auspices of the United Nations sea levels will rise by 60 centimetres between now and the year 2100 if global warming increases during that period by an extra 2°C In Palavas-les-Flots and the neighbouring coastline a scientific programme involving dozens of engineers researchers and administrative officials with the local authorities of the Hérault département (county) is underway to monitor and counter the very real effects of coastal erosion: cameras have been set up to track the erosion of beaches studies have been launched into the effects of storms prospecting for new sand reserves is underway along with modelling of the effects locally of climate change While Palavas-les-Flots is not the most threatened site it is strategically important because of its location within the surrounding lagoon- and lake-dotted Aigues-Mortes gulf which has a fragile eco-system But the scientific programme concerns the whole of the beaches lining the small towns in the same zone appointed by the Hérault  local authorities to coordinate the coastal study „The scale of the management of the natural environment dominates that of administrative management.“ the most eroded beaches of Palavas-les-Flots and those of nearby Carnon about five kilometres further east along the strip and a favourite spot for day-trippers from Montpellier were recharged with a total of one million cubic metres of sand The supplies were taken from the broad width of sands at the pointe de l’Espiguette at the east-most point of the Aigues-Mortes gulf The three-month operation cost 8 million euros It took just seven years for the popular Petit-Travers beach in Carnon to find itself back to the same depleted level of sand from before the recharge about half of the new sand has already disappeared „The recharge is the only solution that allows for gaining time to raise awareness among [local] populations about long-term strategies“ because sand reserves are not unlimited and it costs a lot.“ Richard is among those who advocate a soft approach to restoring the beaches and dunes which includes methods like erecting units of wooden fence protection against wind erosion and armouring the sands with geotextile defences and notably recharging eroded sites with new sand were employed in a lengthy operation to restore the Sète lido a regularly-eroded stretch of sandy coastline several kilometres long between the towns of Sête and Marseillan The cost of the programme was 54 million euros Faced with its own problems of rising sea levels and coastal erosion the Netherlands has access to significant undersea sand reserves in the North Sea and the Channel which during the glacial period 21,000 years ago was 120 metres lower than today the Mediterranean could eventually rise by about another 100 metres or more Palavas-les-Flots must adapt to a rise in sea levels that cannot now be avoided The problems facing the resort are not down to climate change alone but arise in part from the construction of coastal resorts on the dune banks of the Gulf of Lion most of the coastline is especially vulnerable to climate change“ a geologist and oceanographer with the BRGM „One of the reasons for this situation is that the lines of dune were destroyed with the building of houses and roads beginning in the 1960s.“ Before the development of the coastal region there were mostly only small fishing villages along the coast between Sète and Marseille to the east But in 1963 the so-called „Mission Racine“ was launched the senior French civil servant in charge of the government programme to develop the western French Mediterranean coastline centred on that of the Languedoc-Rousillon region with the building of tourist resorts and transport infrastructures where once were sands and swamps Press reports at the time hailed the emergence of a „new Florida“ and the seaside resorts which sprung up are today among the best-known and most popular in France Palavas-les-Flots was already a popular spot the town’s seafront became lined with large modern buildings within just a few years The name Palavas-les-Flots became synonymous with summertime seaside tourism albeit much less chic than the French Riviera with its facilities adapted to group tourism and children’s holiday camps Michel Houellebecq sings “Plein été” his wry take on Palavas-les-Flots in summertime when tens of thousands of tourists gather there every year French novelist Michel Houellebecq penned a song dedicated to the town in 2000 finiteness/An Algerian sweeps the floor of ‘The Dallas’/ Opens the sliding glass windows his look is pensive/On the beach are a few condoms/A new day comes up over Palavas.“ tourism is by far the major source of revenue for the town which is developing a new additional line of business in hosting conferences for professional groups at its Phare de la Méditerranée a 43-metre-tall observation tower (a converted water tower in service until 1997) The kitchens of the restaurant are run by a former winner of the French version of MasterChef while one of the shareholders is former French footballer Vincent Candela After the mushrooming of resorts under the Mission Racine prompting misguided efforts to protect the beaches and also the laying of lines of barriers made up of rocks which stretch into the sea But while such measures provided some local defences against the sea aggravating the problems of erosion along the Gulf of Lion coastline member of the conservative Les Républicains party and a former local Member of Parliament for the wider region denies any existence of a threat from rising sea levels „We’ve always had a bit of water when there have been storms“ speaking to Mediapart in his vast office at the town hall „The rise of water levels has been around for 70 years I can’t say that it’s particularly evident.“ Holding up large-sized colour photos he argued that the local beaches are in fact growing with sand to the point that it is now invading the town adding that he would like to see a photo that demonstrates the reality of coastal erosion jokingly comparing himself to being „like Thomas the Apostle“ Asked whether he had read the scientific report on the projections of the possible submersion of the town due to the effects of climate change Did he agree that climate change will necessarily cause a rise in sea levels „There have been periods of warming and cooling over the last thousands of years“ „I am a little sceptical if I’m told that over 50 years there’s a change in climate.“ Asked whether he contested the existence of climate change but before the happening of what you talk about and without changes of a nature to hinder nature“ „I am conscious of the problem of climate change but concerning the rise of water levels Palavas is not for the moment affected.“ At the end of the interview the mayor offered gifts of a bottle of ‘Pavalos-les-Flots’ perfume While mayor Jeanjean appeared happy to adopt the proverbial position of sticking his head in the sand a study published in the review Nature Climate Change in February 2016 and co-signed by 22 scientific researchers involved in climate change studies from seven different countries gave a stark warning of the urgency for political initiatives for the vast long-term future of the planet a period during which the overwhelming majority of human-caused carbon emissions are likely to occur need to be placed into a long-term context when the last Ice Age ended and human civilization developed over which time the projected impacts of anthropogenic climate change will grow and persist“ they wrote in their introduction to the study entitled Consequences of 21st-century policy for multi-millennial climate and sea-level change „This long-term perspective illustrates that policy decisions made in the next few years to decades will have profound impacts on global climate and human societies – not just for this century but for the next ten millennia and beyond.“ That implies taking action now to counter problems that are not yet apparent which is a disturbing prospect but also an exciting one – no less so than developing mass tourist resorts on strips of sand and swamps If you would like to securely leak information and documents to us, please visit this page Unsere Reporterinnen und Reporter senden Ihnen Recherchen was Journalismus für unsere Gesellschaft leisten kann – regelmäßig oder immer dann The fertilized eggs are transported in a cargo spacecraft for from 4 to 8 days which corresponds to their incubation period The tanks would be resupplied every 5 months the tanks would operate as a closed-loop system These microalgae could be used to feed filter-feeding organisms which could also collect some of the waste A batch of 200 fish would be needed to provide 2 portions of sea bass per week for 7 astronauts over 16 weeks This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Home → Space → Space flight Scientists hope Lunar Hatch will make fresh fish part of space missions' menus At a research station tucked away near the beaches of Palavas-les-Flots in southern France They’re not aware of it but they’re part of a daring experiment that may one day change life beyond Earth their descendants will be among the first animals raised on the Moon providing fresh food for astronauts on long missions far from home The project, called Lunar Hatch, is led by Dr. Cyrille Przybyla of the French National Institute for Ocean Science (Ifremer) It aims to answer a fundamental question for future space explorers: how do you reliably produce fresh “Fish is an excellent source of protein because it is the animal organism that we digest the best,” Przybyla told The Guardian “It has omega 3 and important B vitamins that will be needed for astronauts in space to maintain muscle mass.” Scientists will fertilize sea bass eggs on Earth then blast them into space aboard a cargo spacecraft coincides perfectly with the eggs’ incubation period they would hatch either en route or shortly after arrival at a lunar base The fish would grow in tanks filled with water extracted from ice found at the Moon’s poles regions permanently shielded from sunlight These tanks would form part of a closed-loop aquaculture system where every waste product becomes a resource “We’ve done all the possible simulations we can do on the ground so the goal now is to have a space mission to verify that data,” Przybyla said the system would mimic Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) This approach combines different marine species to recycle nutrients Wastewater from the fish would feed microalgae which in turn would nourish filter-feeders like bivalves and zooplankton Shrimps and worms would process leftover waste—and also serve as food for the sea bass “The aim of Lunar Hatch is to have no waste,” Przybyla emphasized “Everything is recycled through an aquaculture system that would have to be autonomous for four to five months.” The goal: two fresh portions of sea bass per week for a seven-person crew The idea of sending animals into space isn’t new. In 1973, tiny mummichogs—hardy fish from coastal North America—traveled aboard an Apollo mission Guppies swam in the Soviet Union’s Salyut space lab in 1976 zebrafish were sent to the International Space Station to study muscle loss in microgravity But Lunar Hatch is different: it aims to actually farm the fish in space Researchers have already tackled critical questions Would the eggs survive the violent vibrations of launch Would cosmic radiation or changes in gravity damage their DNA Using equipment from the University of Montpellier’s Space Centre scientists simulated the intense shaking of a Russian Soyuz rocket Fertilized eggs at different stages of development withstood the stress Lunar Hatch could become a model for sustainable life-support systems In a world facing growing challenges of food security what begins as a solution for distant astronauts might soon ripple back to communities isolated by geography the fish at Palavas-les-Flots continue their slow unaware that their offspring may one day help humanity take its next giant leap © 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science © 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science A new exhibition shows how one of France’s most celebrated illustrators captured the country’s transition to modernity Dubout dessine les Français at the Musée Albert Dubout in Palavas-les-Flots (Hérault) marks 30 years since the museum opened on July 14 Dubout worked with almost 250 newspapers and magazines and created 88 film and advertising posters The drawings featured in the latest exhibition include Printemps which shows Parisians discovering en masse the joys of the countryside after paid holidays were introduced in 1936 told The Connexion: “Jean d’Ormesson used to say Dubout was the cartoonist of paid holidays Many of his drawings feature an instantly recognisable large woman and her tiny husband which his grandson says was an early stand against domestic violence Having a large man striking his wife was not very interesting but a woman tormenting her small husband made people laugh the cartoonist of women’s social and sexual liberation There is one drawing of a woman on the side of the bed beside her lover and the caption says ‘It was better with my husband’ “He was as funny in life as in the drawings totally off the wall,” Mr Dubout said of 'le grand-père' Dubout always refused to hold exhibitions while he was alive ‘I am the greatest French cartoonist and I am working for posterity’,” Mr Dubout said The time spent working ‘day and night’ is evident in the drawings some of which resemble ‘Where’s Wally?’ pictures He also released two films during the 1950s which he made during the German Occupation “Walt Disney saw them and asked him to be his studio director and told him to name his price His popularity was partly due to the fact he was “never vulgar” some of his drawings are very out there and erotic who organises exhibitions of the artist’s work with her husband said the drawings can help foreigners understand French society including Printemps and its depiction of holidays my daughters didn’t even want to go to the beach,” she said “There was not one speck of sand to put a towel on Dubout is also known for his many drawings of black and white cats A joint exhibition is planned in Brussels with the work of Belgian cartoonist Philippe Geluck Tickets to Dubout dessine les Français cost €5 (children free) Products featuring some of Dubout’s illustration are available via our Connexion shop. See here Impressionist masterpieces in Aix-en-Provence Behind the curtain: L’Intime Expo takes a fascinating look at people's private lives The abstract creations are being displayed until next week from Corsica to Porquerolles—all perfect for an unplugged retreat on the sand Here, we’ve rounded up 17 of the best beaches in France, stretching from coast to coast and covering a surprisingly diverse array of landscapes We’ve also suggested the best hotel or vacation rental near each beach—and trust us when we say some of these properties make a very compelling case for booking a flight immediately Break out your Céline sandals and get ready to vacation like Europe’s elite Stay here: There’s nothing bad about checking into an 18th-century Norman chateau—especially one with its own apiary and heated outdoor pool, like Château La Chenevière Stay here: This one’s a no-brainer: Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc is not only the finest hotel in Antibes but it also happens to be one of the most romantic name-droppingly luxurious hotels in the entire world Stay here: More like an opulent seaside palace, Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel effortlessly combines old-school glamour with unpretentious Stay here: Make time to book plenty of hydrotherapy treatments at Castel Clara Stay here: The grand estate of Château d’Audrieu is surprisingly perfect for families Stay here: If you want to stay close to the cape, the Hôtel Belle Vue in Fouesnant is a sweet little mom-and-pop where the owners personally greet you when you arrive Stay here: You can’t beat the port-side location of Hotel de Toiras—and the uniquely decorated rooms overlooking the garden certainly don’t hurt either Stay here: Just a quick walk away from Cassis’s best beaches is this charming five-bedroom Airbnb which affords 360-degree views of the Provençal commune Stay here: Conveniently located between Deauville and Honfleur, Hôtel La Chaumière is a family-owned stunner with smartly decorated rooms and a glass-walled yoga studio HyèresSurrounded by the first maritime national park in Europe Stay here: Hôtel Le Manoir is an ideal spot to live out your ultimate Provençal fantasies—grilled lobster and crème brûlée included Stay here: Hôtel Richer de Belleval (a Relais & Château) gave Montpellier a major luxury boost when it opened in 2021 Stay here: Cheval Blanc St-Tropez is an old-school charmer (those views!) that was recently transformed into a modern marvel by the sea a group of three beaches that are easily accessible from the city centre and great for families with kids First published on CNT US All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service (updated April 1 2021) and Policy and Cookie Statement (updated April 1 The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast The TimesThe small French Mediterranean resort of Palavas-les-Flots is known for its sandy beaches its 12th-century cathedral and the ancestral Provençal water jousting contests in the summer and a demonstration by local retailers against what they say are the French “yobs” who make the average English lager lout seem almost innocuous Similar complaints have been voiced in other resorts during a holiday season that has underlined the rifts and the violence in French society Last year about 44 per cent of French summer holidaymakers went abroad the vast majority have stayed at home with the result that towns usually full of beetroot-coloured Britons are now This sun-kissed city has just become France’s seventh largest on the back of students This compact, sun-kissed city of 275,000 people located six miles inland from France’s Mediterranean coast should be passing Strasbourg as the country’s seventh-biggest Often overlooked for the bigger southern metropolises of Toulouse and Nice and even Provençal tourist-draws such as Avignon and Arles Montpellier has been the fastest growing French city over the last half-century more than doubling in size from only 119,000 in 1962 This article includes content provided by Instagram We ask for your permission before anything is loaded as they may be using cookies and other technologies Growing painsSpend five minutes on 18th-century plaza Place de la Comédie and you’ll feel the livening effects of the city’s massive student intake “My feeling is that the city has lost a bit of its soul,” says Marie Laure Anselme-Martin from a local family going back four generations “There are very few Montpelliérains with real roots – only about 15% of the population now a kind of black Rubik’s cube made Montpellier France’s “urbanist laboratory” “Montpellier took off with him,” says Anselme-Martin even though she stood in opposition to Frêche as a municipal councillor 82 Points with which Montpellier HSC did “a Leicester” and unexpectedly won the French football championship in 2011-12 for the sole time in their history 37 Percentage of youth unemployment in the city – testament to ongoing economic stagnation in the south and Montpellier’s reputation as a cushy beach-bum option There’s a Lynchian frisson to Montpellier by night, according to photographer Yohann Gozard His local nightscapes are currently showing at La Panacée gallery’s Retour sur Mulholland Drive exhibition History in 100 wordsUnlike its illustrious neighbours Montpellier has no Greek or Roman heritage thanks partly to a school of medicine that quickly became a European leader and is now the world’s oldest active medical faculty Former pharmacist Anselme-Martin says Montpellier’s research culture is one of its highlights: “I bathed in it I’ve got lots of friends in the research world they’re people I appreciate because they’re humble.” Open-mindedness was key: in 1180 could practice in Montpellier – though not apothecaries the medico-botanical influence is still evident in the scores of biotech and agribusiness companies Profound late-career Truffaut or misogynist misstep the great director let his wandering eye rove on Montpellier’s streets for 1977’s The Man Who Loved Women Here is local director’s Yann Sinic’s airborne tribute to the film The Med’s little-known skanking outpost, Montpellier has a vibrant roots-reggae scene dating back to the late 1990s. Since 2010, record label Salomon Heritage has taken the reins broadcasting the Jamaican sound system tradition to the Languedoc and further afield designed to siphon off all non-commuter traffic and reroute it southwards With real-estate development sprouting up on every side, Montpellier’s mayor, Philippe Saurel, is still fixated on showy flagship projects. The Belaroia (“jewel” in Occitan) is a new luxury hotel and apartments complex expected to be completed opposite central Gare St Roch at the end of 2018 where a fifth tram line – a new axis linking villages to the north and southwest – may intersect by 2025 Then there is the flashy 55m L’Arbre Blanc tower stylistically situated “between Japan and the Mediterranean” Anselme-Martin has her doubts: “These showcase buildings – are they going to work Because Languedoc-Roussillon is nearly France’s poorest region There are certainly signs of development mania The overarching Occitan region recently withdraw its share of funding for a new €135m out-of-town train station already under construction after learning that only four TGVs a day will stop there on its initial opening in 2018 France’s sixth biggest city with a population of about 285,000 Au tour de @montpellier_ d’avoir sa photo spatiale! Je crois bien avoir loupé de peu la Grande-Motte et Palavas-les-Flots… 🇫🇷 #Proxima pic.twitter.com/BpGbVAG2wr The lively but slightly-too-Saurel-friendly Gazette de Montpellier is the local Time Out. MontpellierCityCrunch is the buzziest events guide. The underground-orientated Jacker magazine is Montpellier’s answer to the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royale Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter and Facebook to join the discussion, and explore our archive here A list containing some of France’s most-polluted beaches has been unveiled to help summer visitors decide where to bathe it shows the vast majority of French beaches are ranked as ‘excellent’ Its study looked at more than 1,800 beaches whose water quality is regularly checked by regional health agencies in France The media organisation has provided a searchable, interactive map (in French and behind a paywall) that allows you to see beaches near you or check the quality of those you may visit on holiday Visitors are advised to check for reports on the quality of the water before diving in A European directive requires bathing water to be checked and the result of these analyses enables authorities to classify beaches into four grades based on their water quality and they are based on the microbiological analysis results for the current year and the three previous ones eight beaches in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur are primarily affected by poor (‘insufficient’) quality water These notably include beaches in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer On June 21, swimming at Gravette beach, Antibes, was suspended due to high levels of enterococcus bacteria in the water have been closed since March and will remain so throughout the summer beaches of excellent quality water in the area include those in the communes of Grimaud The beaches in these regions tend to be of high quality while most of the beaches in Corsica are also classified as ‘excellent’ Read also: Riptides on French coast: How to avoid and what to do if caught suffers from higher-than-ideal levels of pollution beaches a few kilometres away in Ile d'Oléron and Ile d'Aix are much better Soorts-Hossegor; and Anglet in the Pays Basque all of which have a number of beaches with ‘excellent’ water quality the beaches of Agon-Coutainville and Coudeville-sur-Mer have ‘insufficient’ water quality which have many sites with ‘excellent’ water quality Hauts-de-France has fewer swimming spots compared to other regions and while none of them are ranked as of ‘insufficient’ quality the proportion of beaches of ‘excellent’ quality is low They tend to be rated ‘good’ or ‘sufficient’ and Saint-Brieuc are of ‘insufficient’ quality The beach at Saint-Michel-en-Grève even saw the first suspected case of death caused by green algae, in 1989, when hydrogen sulphide, a toxic gas emitted by decomposing algae, is thought to have caused the death of a 27-year-old jogger The beach at Saint-Brieuc is also seeing problems linked to invasive green algae and Plounéour-Brignogan-Plages have around a dozen beaches that are deemed to be of ‘excellent’ quality The beaches at Pornic and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez fare better than those at Pouliguen and Saint-Nazaire as the latter two are rated of ‘insufficient’ quality in the Le Figaro list These have been ranked France’s most environmentally friendly beaches Green, yellow, red, purple: New safety flag system for French beaches How to pick a clean beach in France Recent power cut in Spain and Portugal is warning to holidaymakers to ensure they are prepared for worst-case scenario The resort is set to remain open to the public and not only to professionals May 4, 2025 | , After a delayed start due to an accident during Winter training La Patrouille de France will start their season in June and take in displays in France A UFO (objet volant non identifié) was spotted by several people along the Mediterranean coast of Occitanie on Tuesday evening (November 9) Local weather service Météo Gard-Hérault published a video on its Twitter account showing footage of the glowing object and which seemed at one point to somersault through the air Social media users have developed several different theories about the origin of the object suggesting that it could be a drone or a satellite so far no one has been able to definitively explain what it is During the stormy night of September 15, Montpellier residents noticed another strange light in the sky above their city. However, France 3 later reported that the lights were coming from projectors near the Halle Tropisme where the Campus Créatif arts education collective was carrying out rehearsals 'Going to the moon in space is far from the final frontier' French astronaut splashes down to earth with heartfelt tricolour Tweet French astronaut Thomas Pesquet shares photos of Brittany from space The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden Please log in here to leave a comment May 2, 2025 | , The French Air & Space Force Dassault Rafale Solo Display is perhaps the most popular of all the solo jet displays in Europe Returning for a second season as pilot is Captaine Jean-Brice ‘Mimouss’ Millet and he will be display in France Camille Miranda © Palavas-les-FlotsBonne nouvelle : le Père Noël a décidé de prolonger ses vacances à Palavas-les-Flots Le village de Noël des "Flots Enchantés" est ouvert jusqu'au…dimanche 7 janvier 2024 Le village des "Flots Enchantés" est situé sur la plage rive gauche Il propose 15 chalets d'artisans et commerçants locaux des manèges et de nombreuses animations c'est la première édition du village des "Flots Enchantés" Il a été organisé par l'association des commerçants locaux Noël à Palavas Une publication partagée par Les Flots Enchantés - Village de Noël (@lesflotsenchantes) Le village des "Flots Enchantés" est une bonne adresse pour prolonger la magie des fêtes et les vacances C'est l'occasion de découvrir une dernière fois les artisans de la région et de profiter une toute dernière fois de la magie des fêtes en famille et le tout : en bord de mer !  Ouvert tous les jours de 11h à 21h | Le 24, 31 décembre et le 7 janvier de 11h à 19hToute la programmation juste ici Une oeuvre street-art monumentale débarque sur une façade tout près de Montpellier Clair Obscur : Expedition 33 : le jeu vidéo le mieux noté de 2025 sort d'un studio montpelliérain Le plus beau village de France est à 1h20 de Montpellier selon ce célèbre quotidien britannique