Mission 1 Réunion

From 14 to 23 August 2026 OCEAN EARS visited Réunion to exchange knowledge about whale bioacoustics and conduct ocean audio field recordings with the fantastic Abyss team.

OCEAN EARS exists to work alongside specialists in bioacoustics and marine conservation. Its aim is to connect the dots between kindred initiatives around the world, drawing their recordings, knowledge and research together into an immersive sonic map, and a series of sound installations, so that a wider public can experience this work not only as data but as something felt. Drawing on my own experience as artist and sound scientist, I approach this mission as a collaboration with these scientists in its essence. Approaching research from diverse disciplines can bring unique insights and results.

Thanks to the introduction made by Prof. Olivier Adam, a mentor and collaborator at the Sorbonne University, I was invited to exchange knowledge and share experience with the Abyss group. It was an honour to meet these dedicated marine researchers, doing ongoing research on marine life and especially humpback whales.

Together with Prof. Olivier Adam (Sorbonne Université), PhD student Lucie Jean-Labadye (Sorbonne Université), Bertrand Denis (Manager Coordinator, Abyss), Beverley Ecalle (project manager for the ABYSS Association), Dr Yann Doh, Dr Nadège Gandilhon, Anne Barat and Sandra Pédurthe.

About ABYSS

ABYSS is a non-profit association founded in 2009 and based on Réunion Island. It monitors and works to conserve marine mammals and their habitats in the south-western Indian Ocean, supported by a network of local and international partners. The association runs its own research vessel from Le Port with its own data-collection equipment, combining established survey methods with newer techniques.

Its work centres on behavioural and bioacoustic studies of cetaceans, gathered through underwater surveys and onboard research, on sharing results through publications and training, and on raising awareness of the region’s biodiversity and the threats it faces, often through projects that bring together art and science. Because many of the species migrate, ABYSS also works with partners in Madagascar, the Comoros, Mayotte and the Seychelles. Surveys at sea follow the association’s approach charter and the prefectural rules on approaching cetaceans, and members can join outings to learn the research methods first hand.

Learn more about Abyss Réunion here: https://www.abyss-oi.com/

The first humpback whale sighting, from the beautiful Lady La Fee: a mother–calf pair.