The program aims to sequence the genome of 4,500 marine species, with a strong focus on species from mainland France and its overseas territories.

The ATLASea research program is one of the winners of the exploratory PEPRs (Priority Research and Equipment Projects), which focus on emerging scientific or technological fields that the State seeks to identify and organize. Co-led by the CNRS and the CEA, this program is funded by France 2030 over eight years. Its goal is to sequence the genomes of 4,500 eukaryotic marine species (species whose cells have a nucleus), including mollusks, crustaceans, annelids, cnidarians, ascidians, unicellular and multicellular algae, sponges, and fish—representing about one-third of the known marine species in mainland France and its overseas territories. The collected data will be deposited in an open-access database for the scientific community, contributing to biodiversity inventories. Under the umbrella of the Earth Biogenome Project (EBP), there are more than 50 international programs aiming to establish reference genomes.