French architect Jacques Rougerie has designed a vessel in the form of manta ray 915 meters long and 500 meters wide, in which there is room for 7,000 people. The "City of Mériens" is concieved to be a floating university town dedicated to scientists, professors and students who are involved in marine research. "Mérien” is a term made up by Rougerie, which which defines the “one belonging to the sea.” He considers himself a mérien, because of his immense love for the ocean.

The City of Mériens is designed to be self-sustainable. It uses renewable energy from the sea, and does not produce waste. There are living rooms, classrooms, laboratories and many other rooms for all kinds of purposes. It is designed for marine research and the lagoon in the back of the boat is meant for the deployment of research vessels. The City of Mériens is designed to be the main base for the remote research vessel, so-called "Sea orbiter."

"People would come [from] all over the world - it's an international city governed by United Nations standards. It's destined for researchers, academics and students who wish to explore and study the ocean," Rougerie told weather.com. "It also welcomes observers and anyone with the passion for the ocean. The City of Mériens is open for all the countries of the world, so each nation could have access to the ocean's scientific resources."