One question is enough to begin

dis-MOI: explore and understand marine life

Why does an octopus change colour? Where does the dusky grouper live? What is the role of Posidonia?

With dis-MOI, a question becomes the starting point for exploring marine life.

I ask → I search → I understand → I explore.

A different way to search

Simply start with what you want to know

Dive.Explo360 brings together knowledge about species, habitats, behaviour and marine environments.

But when a question comes to mind, where do you look?

With dis-MOI, you do not need to know a species’ scientific name or which section to search in.

I ask → I search → I understand → I explore

Your region, language and reading level

Your site region is used

dis-MOI uses the marine region selected on the site. Change it to discover knowledge relevant to that region, alongside general knowledge.

Available translations

The interface follows the site language. Answers depend on published translations: not all content is available in every language yet.

Reading at your level

Choose ages 6–10, 11–14, 15–17 or adults. Explanations are written for curious nature lovers, with no specialist knowledge required.

Three starting points

Choose how you want to search

dis-MOI lets you start with what you already know, or simply with whatever sparks your curiosity.

01

Explore by topic

Choose a topic, then a subject. dis-MOI gradually presents the available questions.

Species Habitats Diet Behaviours Ecology
03

Surprise me

The “A question for me” button suggests an available question for your region and reading level.

“Another discovery” lets you continue at your own pace. Free search also helps you find content on the site.

Try it

What are you curious about?

Click a question to open dis-MOI directly.

Frequently asked questions

A few answers to get started

A few examples of answers at the adult level. Open a question in dis-MOI to explore the knowledge available in your language, region and reading level.

Why does an octopus change colour?

Rapid colour changes rely in particular on chromatophores, coloured cells in the octopus’s skin. These expandable pigment sacs are opened or contracted by muscles, changing the visible colour almost instantly. This contributes to camouflage and can also reflect different behavioural situations.

What is the role of Posidonia?

Posidonia forms meadows that provide shelter, breeding grounds and living areas for many fish and invertebrates. It therefore contributes to the biodiversity of Mediterranean coastal seabeds.

Why do fish live in shoals?

In a shoal, several fish can detect danger and trigger a collective escape. The many moving individuals can also make it harder for a predator to select its prey. This protection reduces some risks without eliminating them.

How do fish see underwater?

Yes, fish can see underwater: their eyes perceive the light reflected by objects and other organisms. Their vision depends on lighting, depth and water clarity.

Where does the red bandfish live?

The red bandfish mainly inhabits soft sandy and muddy seabeds. It has been recorded at depths of 15 to 400 metres and lives in the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic, among other areas.

It builds a vertical burrow in the sediment as a refuge. However, it does not remain there permanently: it can emerge and rise above the seabed. This explains why it may sometimes be seen swimming in open water while remaining closely connected to its habitat.

What does the dusky grouper eat?

The dusky grouper catches crustaceans, fish and cephalopods such as octopuses. Its diet varies with its size: juveniles mainly eat small crustaceans.

A knowledge base

The answers are not invented

dis-MOI does not freely generate an answer to each question.

It searches a structured collection of documents about marine life. Shared knowledge can apply to several seas; local knowledge is linked to the regions where it applies.

The knowledge therefore remains consistent with Dive.Explo360’s other content: species profiles, articles, dives, habitats and learning paths.

Content is being expanded gradually. Despite our checks, errors are still possible.

Understand at your own level

The same question, four reading levels

Anyone can wonder why a cuttlefish changes colour. But the explanation is different for an eight-year-old, a fourteen-year-old and an adult.

01

6–10 years

Simple sentences and concrete vocabulary to understand the essentials.

02

11–14 years

The first scientific terms are introduced and explained.

03

15–17 years

Biological and ecological mechanisms are explored in greater detail.

04

Adults (18+)

An accessible, detailed explanation for a general audience.

The subject stays the same. What changes is the depth of the explanation.

From one question to the next

Curiosity builds the path

One question often leads to another.

A very simple question can gradually lead to an understanding of the relationships between species, their behaviour and their environment.

A question is not an end. It can open a path.

Why does an octopus change colour? ↓ Camouflage ↓ Chromatophores ↓ Underwater vision ↓ Predators and prey
Marine vocabulary

Understand the words of marine biodiversity

In answers, scientific words linked to a definition are clickable, helping you understand them without losing your place. Here are a few examples at the adult level.

Chromatophore
A chromatophore is a pigmented structure in the skin. In cuttlefish and octopuses, it can expand or contract very quickly, making a colour appear or disappear. Thousands of chromatophores can therefore create different patterns on the body.
Rhizome
A ‘rhizome’ is a stem that usually grows horizontally and bears roots and new shoots. Posidonia rhizomes spread through the seabed.
Epiphyte
An ‘epiphyte’ is an organism attached to a living plant without necessarily being a parasite. Small algae can grow on Posidonia leaves.
Benthic
‘Benthic’ describes what lives on the seabed or in close association with it. A sea cucumber moving across the sand is benthic.
Filter feeder
A ‘filter feeder’ is an organism that removes food particles from the water. A sponge passes water through its body to collect particles.
Species

Discover who they are

How can you recognise the common dentex? Where does the greater amberjack live? What does the swallowtail seaperch eat? How does the red bandfish reproduce?

A species can be discovered through its appearance, habitat, diet, behaviour, reproduction or ecological role.

Explore the profiles
Understand the environment

Go well beyond species

How does the swim bladder work? Why do fish live in shoals? What is a coralligenous habitat? Why are Posidonia meadows important?

Observing an organism gradually leads to an understanding of how the marine environment works.

Learn more in the articles
Everything is connected

From questions to exploration

dis-MOI is connected to the rest of Dive.Explo360. A question can lead to a species, its habitat, an article or a learning path.

QUESTION → ANSWER → SPECIES → HABITAT → ARTICLE → LEARNING PATH

The same knowledge can be discovered in different ways.

For curious minds of all kinds

You do not need to know what to look for

I discover

I follow the topics and questions that spark my curiosity.

I dive

I find a species I have observed or prepare for my next dive.

I teach

A question can become the starting point for an activity or a discussion.

I share knowledge

Educators can adapt explanations to their audience’s level.

Frequently asked questions

Understanding dis-MOI

What is dis-MOI?

dis-MOI helps you search and explore Dive.Explo360’s marine knowledge for your selected region and reading level.

Does dis-MOI use artificial intelligence to invent its answers?

No. dis-MOI searches for its answers in a structured collection of documents.

What topics can you search for?

Species, habitats, diet, reproduction, behaviour, anatomy, senses, ecological roles and the functioning of underwater environments.

Who is dis-MOI for?

Answers are available at four reading levels: ages 6–10, 11–14, 15–17 and adults.

Your turn to begin

A question can be the start of an exploration.

Observation sparks questions. An answer brings new ones to mind.

With dis-MOI, curiosity becomes a way to explore and understand marine life.