Integrated Axis

Integrated axis

Dinophysis sp. (photo credits: IFREMER)

The aim of the integrated axis is to increase the structuring of the consortium and its international visibility through three actions: the creation of an interdisciplinary expertise platform concerning risks and the governance of resources and marine spaces, bringing together the researchers of the federation with larger scientific communities and increasing the visibility of the training.

The interdisciplinary platform (Action Integ. 1)

The development of the interdisciplinary expertise platform is a major challenge for COSELMAR in order to have an integrated response to future challenges regarding marine spatial planning. Indeed, the prevention and the management of risks linked to the marine and coastal environment need an interdisciplinary approach so as to better understand the ecosystems and the interactions with human activities and to better identify the challenges of sustainable governance. This necessary interdisciplinarity sometimes encounters mismatched representations of the concepts of risks and of governance which is firmly established in certain disciplines (chemical hazards for food, environmental risks, economic risks...). The first step of this action will be an epistemological reflection on the concepts of risks and vulnerability and also of socio-ecosystem and governance so as to build a common understanding between all the disciplines of the consortium. This reflection will be conducted through seminars to which participants of the project will be invited and the seminars will be organised at the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (MSH) Ange-Guépin (USR 3491 CNRS). The operational objective of this platform will be met by the development of a software tool for integrating knowledge and risk analysis, allowing the questioning of experts. The process will lead to the elaboration of qualified and documented indicators to facilitate decision-making with a known confidence level by actors of governance. At the scale of COSELMAR, the platform will be tested around a model of spatial management, applied to the sole (ISIS-FISH) and developed in action 3.2. Pertinent scenarios will be developed using the results from the different actions of COSELMAR (impact of coastal flooding, eutrophication scenarios, etc.) and will help in the elaboration of indicators for the management of this resource with respect to the types of risks. The development of such scenarios will involve research from different actions but also professionals from this field.

The Research Group on toxic algae (Action Integ. 2) : Phycotox

The dynamic of structuring will be highlighted with the networking of scientists through the creation of the Research Group on toxic algae and algal toxins, as well as through the initiation of a process of building a national and international network around issues of bio-colonisation, of modelling of interactions between organisms and their environment so as to determine their impact on the structures.

The study of toxic algae and their associated toxins is complex with regard to ecology and analytical chemistry. The creation of a Research Network on toxic algae and algal toxins will help structure research on this subject matter at a national level. Up to now, there has been no proper structure on this topic in France even if there is a scientific community following the topic. The French contributions to this subject matter include ecological aspects (lagunes and tropical systems, coastal bay systems, eutrophication), taxonomy (morphology, molecular biology and biochemistry) of benthic and pelagic diatoms and dinoflagellates, as well as the impact of toxic algae on the exploitation of biological marine resources (fish and shellfish). French research may give the impression of being scattered due to the absence of such a Research Network. The IUML, which consists of numerous experts on toxic microalgae, has the ambition to position itself as the driving force of a national research structure on this particular topic through the COSELMAR project. This Research Network will help clarify the role of toxic algae in the functioning of the ecosystem (presence or absence of bottom-up or top-down controls) and thus clarify their appearance according to human disturbances of ecosystems. Axes 1 and 2 will contribute to this action through research activities carried out around toxic algae.

Networking of researchers – Bio-colonisation (Action Integ. 3)

(photo credits: Bio Littoral)

The analysis of port structures in terms of the effect of bio-colonisation is recent in our society. Indeed, they were triggered mainly in the late 90s from damage observed on metal or steel pile walls. No predictive models are currently available and the operators and developers must make expensive long inspection campaigns which are sometimes dangerous. New skills are needed; skills in electrochemical marine corrosion coupled with skills in bio-corrosion and in probabilistic modelling of structural safety are essential to go beyond simply identifying the mechanisms and overcoming the difficulties of modelling. The rationalisation of the decision context can only be achieved by integrating the skills concerning the marine environment, marine biology, material pathologies and structure calculations. The objective is to develop scenarios of bio-colonisation growth, to optimise the preventive and curative maintenance process and to initiate the creation of a national and international network (especially with privileged links with Colombia – Del Norte Universidad and the DCIM program) for reflections and exchanges on experimental data and resources, as well as for conceptual approaches. This work takes place in a dual context of risk analysis: technological risk on one hand related to the breach of structures dedicated to economic use and on the other hand, human risk associated with the hazards of cleaning theses structures.

Adding value to science through education (Action Integ. 4)

Finally, methods developed in the project and results obtained will be disseminated through improving education at Masters level for the courses affiliated with  IUML. The participation of international researchers in program seminars organised by for Master’s students will enhance the internationalisation of these courses. The possibility of jointly conferred degrees will be studied and promoted (University of Lisbon, UQAR). In addition, two international summer schools will be organised in COSELMAR. Finally, a continuing education session on a theme developed by COSELMAR (coastal flooding for example) will be experimented with the CNFPT and the Formation Continue (continuing education) of the Université de Nantes. This initiative will connect the results of the COSELMAR project with the professional users of coastal systems facing coastal and marine hazards.

The students of the second  class of Master Erasmus Mundus ACES created this promotional film:
https://youtu.be/Epw2dMS39pE

Axis coordinators : Stéphanie Mahévas, Ifremer & Sophie Pardo, Université de Nantes