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Listening to Nature to
Save Humankind

Watch the video
Join our mission

Humankind's future depends on a healthy planet

Nature is coming close to a breaking point. The balance of our planet is critically threatened by human activities and climate change: the whole food web is affected, which directly puts our fragile sustainability on Earth at risk.
The Sense of Silence Foundation contributes to resolving the Human - Nature conflict through a conciliatory approach: working for the conservation and regeneration of biodiversity while respecting current economic and societal challenges.

Partners

Proudly supported by

Rolex
Institute

Geneva, Switzerland

Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation

California, USA

Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

Monaco

Planetary Health Alliance

Massachusetts, USA

Monaco
Yacht-Club

Monaco

Meri Foundation

Santiago, Chile

Bela & Ellen Hatvany Mustardseed Trust

London, UK

Fondation Pacifique

Geneva, Switzerland

Environmentalist Foundation of India

Coimbatore, India

Pan African Sanctuary Alliance

Oregon, USA

Ondina Halvany & Jaumee Houk

California, USA

Le Meridien RA Beach Hotel & Spa

Tarragona, Spain

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Initiatives

Explore our Initiatives

Listen to the Poles
1

Listen
to the Poles

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Budget
5,7M €
Location
Arctic & Antarctic
Duration
4 years
Status
Active
  • The first bioacoustics expedition to the poles is
  • studying the impact of noise pollution and
  • acoustic exploration of polar marine biodiversity,
  • sharing knowledge to preserve the poles.
Project Providence
2

Project
Providence

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Budget
17M €
Location
Amazon Rainforest
Duration
7 years
Status
Phase 2 of 3
  • Monitoring biodiversity in tropical rain forests
  • via acoustic and visual identification of species.
  • Studying wildlife under the canopy of the Amazon
  • forest, in collaboration with the Mamirauá Institute.
The Blue Boat Initiative
3

The Blue Boat
Initiative

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Budget
15M €
Location
Patagonia (Chile)
Duration
5 years
Status
Phase 1 of 3
  • It's objective is to protect great whales from the
  • effects of human activities, using pioneering
  • technology that monitors the oceans. Saving
  • these species is key to address climate change.
African Great Apes
4

African
Great Apes

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Budget
700K €
Location
Africa
Duration
5 years
Status
Phase 1 of 2
  • The Sense of Silence Foundation has joined forces
  • with the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA).
  • This program aims at installing a network of acoustic
  • observatories covering the 27 African sanctuaries.
Xprize Project
5

XPrize
Project

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Budget
1,5M €
Location
Worldwide Tropical Rainforest
Duration
4 years
Status
Phase 1 of 3
  • The mission of the XPrize Project is to achieve
  • "radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity",
  • building on new advances in science, technology,
  • and innovation towards sustainable bioeconomy.

About

The Foundation

Founded in 2014 by Michel André, The Sense of Silence Foundation gives Nature a voice that everyone can hear. Through pioneering technology born from bioacoustics, and a unique scientific programme based on listening to nature's sounds, the Foundation checks the planet’s pulse and establishes a protocol for its regeneration. Today, The Sense of Silence is committed to initiatives that focus on the most vulnerable habitats on the planet: the Poles, tropical forests, great ape sanctuaries in Africa and the migratory routes of great whales.

Michel André

Creating the first European research laboratory dedicated to the effects of marine noise pollution, the LAB (Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics), in 2003, was Michel André's first commitment to the planet. The LAB has since played a key role in European Union research initiatives. His next great contribution, the company SONSETC, benefits from the advanced technologies developed at the LAB by guiding industries towards respecting the environment in which they operate.
It is based on the international credibility and reputation acquired by the LAB and SONSETC, that this engineer in biotechnology built The Sense of Silence Foundation. During the last twenty years, his work has revolutionised the way bioacoustics are applied to monitoring biodiversity, in order to initiate conservation programs in the most fragile habitats on the planet.

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Play Sounds
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Play Sounds
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Play Sounds

The Sense of Silence
in the Media

"Noise pollution has led to multiple whale-strandings and poses a threat to thousands of ocean creatures."

"From innovation to ocean preservation."

"The killer noise threatening ocean life The oceans are full of noise – both natural and man-made."

"Genius behind - Michel André"

"The ocean was called ‘world of silence’, but as soon as you release a microphone in the water, it turns to be a cacophony of sounds."

"A laboratory to listen to the planet."

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Our Technology

Technology to serve biodiversity

Through more than 150 acoustic observatories, that integrate the most advanced techniques of artificial intelligence, The Sense of Silence Foundation monitors soundscapes 24/7, on land and at sea. It identifies and analyses all their components in real time: animal sounds, human-made noise and natural phenomena. It detects breaches, alerts governments and operators; and it offers solutions adapted to each habitat, in close collaboration with the local indigenous communities who represent the true guardians of biodiversity.

1 st

Underwater noise
pollution map

24/7

Planet's myriad sounds
monitoring

150+

Acoustic observatories

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