What if our future is in the Ocean?

Quand l’Océan s’éveillera (When the Ocean Awakens) is a passionate encounter between two enlightened voices: those of Marina Lévy and Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, respectively a doctor of oceanography and French ambassador for the poles and the ocean. The book takes the form of a dialogue that straddles the line between essay and narrative.
This book was born from frustration in the face of urgency. Even as they worked behind the scenes of scientific and international conventions where the future of the ocean is being decided, Marina Lévy and Olivier Poivre d’Arvor witnessed the degradation of a vital ecosystem. As denial persisted, they travelled to meet the people and researchers whose daily lives are shaped by the seas which have now turned into threats. Across Japan, the United States, South Africa, India and China, ocean advocates warn of worsening climate events, floods and pollution. They also bear witness to the toll on people and wildlife, now and in the future.

How can we imagine the future in a world where more than three quarters of the population live in coastal areas?

Olivier Poivre d'Arvor and Marina Lévy combine their voices to paint a nuanced picture of the current situation and the peril of doing nothing, a reality felt even on France’s vulnerable coastlines. The book is a fascinating investigation, full of insights, and a call to younger generations to turn the tide to restore balance with the ocean.
 

Marina Lévy is a graduate of the École Polytechnique, Doctor of Oceanography, CNRS research director and the co-author of L'Océan en 30 questions (The Ocean in 30 Questions). Her research focuses on the consequences of climate change on the ocean, particularly biogeochemical cycles and the role of turbulence. She worked for many years at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), first as deputy director of the Ocean Department and then as Ocean Advisor. She is director of the Ocean Institute within the Sorbonne University Alliance.
 

Olivier Poivre d'Arvor is a philosopher, writer and author of, among other works, Deux étés par an (Two Summers a Year), a fable about climate change. A diplomat and the ambassador for the ocean and the poles, he is also president of the French National Maritime Museum and the Corderie Royale in Rochefort, and coordinator of the United Nations Ocean Conference (Nice, June 2025).