Linkedin Youtube Instagram

X

To country websites

France
onet.fr
Luxembourg
onet.lu
Spain
onet.es
United States
epm-inc.com
Brazil 
onet-brasil.com.br
Japan
onet-technologies.jp

Discover the Group's other
sites

Onet Foundation
Onet Solidarity and Housing Fund
Prodim
Sinteo
Cleanliness is fundamental

 

Fabrice Amedeo:
4,000 species, most of them unknown, detected by the DNA sensor!

Since 2019, Onet has been supporting the oceanographic project of yachtsman Fabrice Amedeo, who turns his ocean races into a unique scientific opportunity.

To mark World Oceans Day, the results of an unprecedented campaign conducted during the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 are being made public.

Through the analysis of environmental DNA, they reveal an unprecedented mapping of marine biodiversity around the globe. A world first.

  • - Onet

A world first aboard Fabrice Amedeo's yacht

During the last Vendée Globe, Fabrice Amedeo led a scientific scientific mission mission aboard his recently renamed yacht FDJ UNITED - WEWISE. Supported by Onet as part of its "Ocean Calling" partnership, Fabrice fitted his Imoca with an innovative sensor developed by the Citizens of the Sea organization. Our sailor collected environmental DNA (eDNA) throughout his 114-day round-the-world race.

A total of 135 seawater samples were taken, enabling the analysis of 250 million genetic sequences.

Over 4,000 species detected, the majority of which have yet to be identified, many having never been observed before. A world first, carried out alone, at sea, over three oceans, 100 degrees latitude and 360 degrees longitude.

A valuable contribution to science and the planet

This campaign opens up new perspectives for understanding marine biodiversity. Thanks to this sensor, it is now possible to draw up in just a few minutes a complete inventory of the life present in a water sample, from microbes to cetaceans. The data collected, now being analyzed at the Cawthron Institute in New Zealand, offers an unprecedented insight into marine ecosystems.

In particular, the results show :

  • a strong dominance of plankton and micro-organisms, key indicators of ocean health,
  • the presence of rare or endangered species, such as the thresher shark,
  • and even large marine mammals such as pilot whales and beaked whales.

This study comes at just the right time, as the United Nations Ocean Summit (UNOC) opens in Nice, calling for 30% of the oceans to be sanctuarized by 2030. These data will enable us to better target the marine areas to be protected, based on a detailed knowledge of biodiversity.

Onet, committed to preserving the oceans

This scientific project is part of a broader approach that Onet has been pursuing for several years. Our partnership with Fabrice Amedeo reflects our ambition to take concrete action for a more sustainable future. In addition to financial support, we are mobilizing our employees around this project through educational events, awareness-raising activities and meetings on the pontoons.

But our commitment to the environment doesn't stop there:

  • More than 2 tons of waste were collected during beach clean-ups with Fabrice Amedeo,
  • Fabrice Amedeo met with over 15 classes, or more than 300 children from Onet employees all over France, to talk about protecting the oceans and pass on his passion through his educational booklet.

On the same theme