Jean Jaubert's fascination for the underwater world started since he spent his childhood paddling in the crystal waters of the South Coasts of the Western Mediterranean Sea.
This fascination turned into a real passion when he saw Commander Cousteau's first films. As a student, he did his first internship in the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. He met Cousteau there and stroke up a friendship with icons of his team such as Claude Wesly, Armand Davso, Canoe Kienzy and André Portelatine.
Jean Jaubert became marine biologist, doctor in oceanography and Doctor of Science, and practices all diving types.
In 1975, invited by the NASA and the US NAVY, he took part to a simulation of space walking in deep sea with a midget submarine. However, intensive underwater diving did not make him forget the importance of laboratory experimentation and the usefulness of modern tools of molecular biology.
In 1992, Professor at the University of Nice, he was assigned to the Principality to create the European Oceanological Observatory, which laboratories are located in the premises put at his disposal by the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. As a specialist in reef-building corals, he quickly raised this new research center to a world-famous level of excellence demonstrated by publications in the best scientific serials. Some articles were published in reference journals such as Science, Nature and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (USA).
The main discoveries of Jean Jaubert teams concern the way coral reefs, sea counterparts of the virgin forest, contribute to the maintenance of great balances of biosphere. At the same time, he invented a sea water biological purification process that enabled him to raise corals in aquarium. Implemented in the Oceanographic Museum by two of his co-workers, Nadia Ounaïs and Pierre Gilles, this process led to the total renovation of the aquarium that accommodates today world-unique exhibition of living corals.
In 2002, Jean Jaubert left the University of Nice and the European Oceanological Observatory to take the management of the Cousteau Society. It was the beginning of a new adventure. In November 2003, he sailed from Monaco onboard of the Alcyone, the famous Turbosail vessel of Commander Cousteau for a pilgrimage, in the footsteps of the Calypso. For 4 months, his crew filmed the shooting sites of 2 mythical films: The World of Silence and the World Without Sun, respectively Palme d'or in Cannes and Oscar winner of the foreign language film in Hollywood.
In July 2004 Jean Jaubert came back to the Principality to manage the Oceanographic Museum. But adventure went on with a raid in the savage Socotra Island, off the coasts of South Yemen.
Prof. Jean Jaubert holding the block
of ice taken at the Monaco glacier
and which will be exposed to the
Oceanographic Museum of Monaco
In July 2005, he accompanied H.S.H. Prince Albert II to the Spitzberg. With his two team-mates, Patrick Marchand and Bruno Philipponnat, he dived into the icy waters adjoining the ice-pack and collected mollusks, which are rare under these latitudes, and which analysis shall bring information of paramount importance on climate evolution and pollution in the Arctic.
Two recent events crowned the scientific career of Jean Jaubert : his promotion to the title of Knight of the Legion of Honour, upon the proposal of the Minister for Research, and the publication of a two-page "Profile" in the very famous American Science magazine.
