The IUEM Director and his team wish all the Institute’s staff and students an excellent year 2025!
Are you familiar with Nature-based Solutions (NBS)? The idea is to work with nature, not against it!
The concept is based on approaches that combine the protection, management and restoration of natural ecosystems to meet a range of societal challenges. By drawing inspiration from ecosystems themselves, these solutions offer environmental, economic and social benefits while promoting biodiversity.
Created in 2023, the PEPR SOLU-BIOD is an ambitious programme dedicated to the production of knowledge on SfN. Bringing together 60 research teams and 160 local players, the programme will run until 2032, with the aim of supporting far-reaching and sustainable changes in society.
Among the initiatives supported by this programme, the Ponant Living Lab, led by Adélie Pomade, focuses on the tip of Brittany, in particular around the Bay of Brest and the Iroise Sea. This regional initiative explores the potential of SfN to meet local challenges.
The first Ponant Living Lab 2025 steering committee meeting was held on Tuesday 21 January, bringing together a number of partners including the Parc Naturel Régional d’Armorique, the Conservatoire Botanique National de Brest, the UBO, Ifremer, the CNRS and many others. After a morning of discussions, a field trip to Pointe de Bindy and Anse du Noz provided an opportunity to observe the spartina and the potential of nature-based solutions, in the presence of local elected representatives and stakeholders.
From 7 to 11 July 2025, the World Maritime Campus and UBO will be jointly organising a course entitled ‘Understanding the environmental challenges of the maritime economy’. The course will take place in Brest and Roscoff and, like the previous edition, will be organised in two sessions: an introductory session and a more in-depth session.
Registration is open until 30 April 2025 at this link.
Au 21ème siècle les sociétés humaines réalisent que les piliers qui ont assuré leur développement au cours des siècles précédents sont mis en question. De nombreux paradigmes ont changé. Nos activités ont dérégulé l’équilibre climatique et gravement affecté la biodiversité à l’échelle planétaire, et plus particulièrement celle des mers et océans qui occupent plus de 70% de la surface de la Terre. Désormais, pour anticiper l’avenir dans une perspective de développement durable, il nous faut comprendre le fonctionnement de l’océan et ses interactions avec les autres enveloppes fluides et solides de la planète Terre. Promouvoir la mise en oeuvre d’un tel développement est l’un des enjeux de la décennie de l’océan de l’Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU), réaffirmé lors du One Ocean Summit qui s’est tenu à Brest en février 2022, et dans le cadre de la préparation de la conférence de l’ONU sur les océans qui se tiendra à Nice en juin 2025. Mieux comprendre l’océan et ses interactions avec le climat et les sociétés humaines, est devenu un enjeu essentiel pour les médias, à même de faire émerger ou de relayer des débats et idées structurantes.
C’est pour répondre à ces enjeux que l’UBO, en partenariat avec l’Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme de Lille et le Club de la Presse de Bretagne, propose le Diplôme d’Université (DU) “Mer et Médias”. Celui-ci fait suite aux quatre écoles d’été Mer et Journalisme organisées par ISblue.
Ce DU a pour objectif de partager à destination de journalistes et de professionnels de la communication un état des lieux des connaissances des sciences et technologies marines dans une perspective de développement durable. Articulée autour de temps en présentiel à Brest et de temps en distanciel, la formation a pour objectif de transmettre aux participants un socle de connaissance solide mais aussi de leur permettre de rencontrer des chercheurs et des professionnels de ces thématiques au travers de séances à l’Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer mais aussi de sorties de terrain et d’interventions “hors les murs”. La formation s’organisera ainsi autour de trois principales sessions à Brest : 2 jours en avril 2025 pour lancer la formation, 3 jours en juin et 1 jour à l’automne pour la conclure qui seront entrecoupées d’activités en distanciel.
Aptitudes et compétences
Ce diplôme a pour objectif de former les journalistes et communicants qui souhaitent actualiser ou approfondir leurs connaissances scientifiques des enjeux océaniques actuels et futurs. Plusieurs sous-objectifs sous-tendent la formation :
Compétences visées
Sessions en présentiel à Plouzané :
Informations et inscription sur le site de l’UBO
Contacts :
DU Mer & Médias à l’IUEM : « Permettre la vulgarisation des recherches sur la mer »
Le Télégramme, article du 27 février 2024
The third China-Europe Border Forum on Advances in Ocean Science and Technology (FFPOST2) was held in Shanghai and on-line on 18 and 19 November 2024. It was organised by Paul Tréguer (IUEM-UBO, European Academy of Sciences EurASc) and Jing Zhang (ECNU, Chinese Academy of Sciences), as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
About 50 participants attended, with livestreams occurring about 6000 persons. Twenty-four invited speakers presented communications. Progress are remarkable regarding the usability of Ditigal twin oceans and of the AI in physics and biogeochemistry and in coastal management. All carbon dioxide removal (CDR) deployments will lead to compensatory CO2 efflux or reduced influx from all natural reservoirs, stressing the need for all realistic land-based, ocean-based and blue carbon CDR. Carbon sinks due to fisheries are being assessed, extension of the Oxygen Minimum Zone has been shown. Impacts of sea-level rise and extreme events like heat waves are key issues for the near future. First economic costs of the flooding of the coastlines are now available. Spectacular progress in observation tools and networks of the ocean have been highlighted.
For more detailled informations, please refer to the synthetic report.
On Tuesday 19 November 2024, the CNRS medals ceremony for the Brittany and Pays de la Loire delegation was held at the Mabilay in Rennes. 5 medals and a collective crystal were awarded ‘to those who, through the originality, quality and importance of their work, have enhanced the reputation of the region and made an exceptional contribution to the dynamism and renown of the institution’. The winners include Damien Desbruyères, an Ifremer researcher in oceanography at LOPS, and the ‘national oceanographic instrumentation park’ team from the INSU Technical Division. Congratulations to them all! Here is the list of medal winners:
Bronze medals:
Crystal medals:
Collective Crystal Medal: ‘Parc national instrumentation océanographique’ team (DT INSU) – CNRS Terre & Univers – Representatives : Emmanuel DE SAINT-LEGER and Arnaud LE RIDANT
A fuller article is available on the CNRS regional delegation website.
Pictures : Pierre Theiller/ CNRS Bretagne et Pays de la Loire
For several years, IUEM has been using Twitter to communicate with as wide an audience as possible. However, since Elon Musk bought the platform at the end of 2022, the social network, now known as ‘X’, has evolved in a direction that runs counter to our values: relativism, massive propagation of false information, cyber-bullying, lack of moderation, commercial spamming, etc. The IUEM and the laboratories it hosts have therefore decided to leave this platform.
We remain fundamentally committed to open science that speaks to as many people as possible, and invite you to join our community on LinkedIn.
The SILICAMICS interdisciplinary conference series, launched in 2015, aims to better understand biosilicification and the nature and importance of siliceous organisms in past, contemporary and future oceans. It is developing an integrative approach that includes physics, chemistry, biogeochemistry, biochemistry, physiology, ecology and genomics. The fourth conference, held at Moulin Mer (Logonna-Daoulas, France), brought together more than 50 scientists from America, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Europe.
The conference revealed the progress made in understanding the molecular basis of silicification and the transfer of dissolved silica from the environment to intracellular organs via SIT proteins. Planet Earth is rich in silica-containing plants. It acts as a biotic or abiotic stress attenuator. With regard to the oceans, in addition to the key role played by diatoms in the surface layers, the development of which is encouraged by the formation of small-scale physical structures, the role of radiolarians in the deep layers has been highlighted. In the benthic domain, siliceous sponges, dominant in ancient times, are widespread in both coastal and abyssal zones. Their role in coastal ecosystems is beginning to be better understood. Among the flows that contribute to the biogeochemical cycle of silicon in the oceans, the importance ofreverse weathering has been confirmed and that of sand dissolution questioned. Evidence of the direct impact of climate change on polar marine ecosystems was provided, particularly for the Arctic Ocean, where the rapid decrease in sea ice cover is affecting the functioning of pelagic and benthic ecosystems, as well as that of the sea ice biome.
Download the conference programme
The International Marine Biotechnology Conference (IMBC) is the leading conference on marine biotechnology, bringing together global leaders in the field since 1989. Its mission is to inform and facilitate exchanges among students, researchers, technologists, policymakers, and industry professionals. The IMBCs attract both local and international participants, offering a communication platform among international scholarly societies working in marine biotechnology. The IMBC is organized under the auspices of the IMBA (International Marine Biotechnology Association) and is associated with the “Marine Biotechnology” journal.
The philosophy of IMBC in the 21st century is based on applying scientific advances in marine science, molecular biology, engineering, and information technology to gain a better understanding of marine ecosystems. The goal is to develop new products, processes, or services while ensuring sustainable management of marine resources. Marine biotechnology, which combines both fundamental and applied research, is essential for innovations in sectors such as health, food, cosmetics, pollution control, and energy production.
The conferences will cover a wide range of topics, from marine pharmacology to bioenergy. They will bring together internationally renowned experts, fostering high-level scientific exchange.
IMBC promotes the development of international partnerships among laboratories, universities, and companies, thus accelerating research and innovation and the creation of consortia. By promoting discoveries and strengthening global dialogue, IMBC also aims to draft a roadmap for developing innovative and sustainable solutions for the future of marine biotechnology.
10 sessions are planned, as well as master classes on the following topics:
Wednesday 9 July will be held at:
Prof. Claire Hellio and Prof. Nathalie Bourgougnon
Prof. Song Qin (president of IMBA)
Prof. Haruko Takeyama (vice-president of IMBA)
Prof. Tiago H. Silva (president of ESMB)
Prof. Concetta Messina (former president of ESMB)
UBO- LEMAR et LUBEM : Claire Hellio and Laurence Meslet
UBS – LBCM : Nathalie Bourgougnon & Alexis Bazire
Sorbonne Université : Simon Dittami & Catherine Leblanc
MHNH : Nadia Améziane
UBO sub-committee : Stéphanie Madec & Zoe Morreeuw
Sorbonne Université sub-committee: Simon Dittami, Catherine Leblanc, Philippe Potin, Lionel Cladiere & Anne Claire Baudoux
MNHN sub-committee : Guillaume Massé
UBS sub-committee : Isabelle Linossier
The conference is being held in Brest, on the premises of the Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO), the home site of the European Society for Marine Biotechnology since 2014. Sessions will also be held at the Roscoff marine station, the MNHN marine station in Concarneau and the Université de Bretagne Sud, enabling speakers to visit strategic sites.
With a vast and rich coastline, strong academic and industrial skills (70 companies) throughout the region, Brittany has established itself as a leading player in marine bioresources for the benefit of many industries:
Brest is a metropolis of 400,000 inhabitants, a tourist area as well as a living centre. There are many hotels in Brest, ranging from 1 to 4 stars, with prices from €50 to €150 per night. Rooms for students are also available in the centre of Brest, 10 minutes by tram from Brest Arena. The city and its outskirts have many attractive facilities and points of interest, such as Océanopolis, the Ateliers des Capucins linked to the city centre by France’s first urban cable car, and the Conservatoire botanique National de Brest. The city was recently classified as a ‘City of Art and History’. Innovative and open to the world, Brest stands out from other French cities for its links with the marine environment and its cutting-edge marine science and technology sector. In fact, it was from the port of Brest that great explorers set off to discover new worlds: La Pérouse, Kerguelen, Bougainville… Brest has a TGV station in the city centre and an international airport close to the city centre, with a shuttle and tramway service. Brest Bretagne international airport offers a number of international flights and a wide choice of flights via Paris (Orly or Charles de Gaulle).
From 21 June to 25 June, the IUEM welcomed members of the ‘Toubkal’ and ‘Maghreb’ Partenariats Hubert Curien (PHC) committees for their annual sessions.
The Partenariats Hubert Curien (PHC) support the international scientific and technological exchanges of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), with the support of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR). The sessions organised in Brest provide an opportunity to select new research projects in all scientific disciplines and to take stock of these partnerships with Morocco, Tunisia and France.
The Maghreb CHP delegation was made up of the Director of the CNRST in Morocco, Ms Jamila EL ALAMI, the Director General of Scientific Research in Tunisia, Mr Mourad BELLASSOUED, the MAGHREB CHP coordinator, Jacques DEVERCHERE, the French co-chairs of the bilateral committees, the scientific attachés of the French embassies in Rabat and Tunis, and representatives of the ministries involved in the 3 countries. Nearly 40 projects submitted on the Campus France PHC MAGHREB website were discussed by the partners.
The Toubkal CHP delegation was made up of the Moroccan co-chair of the Committee, Ms Jamila EL ALAMI, Director of the CNRST in Morocco, the French co-chair of the Committee, Mr Valery BOTTON, the scientific attaché from the French Embassy in Rabat, representatives of the ministries involved and 14 Tunisian and French scientific experts responsible for evaluating more than 100 projects submitted to the Campus France TOUBKAL CHP website.
The sessions were held at the IUEM and the PNBI and took place in a very cordial and constructive atmosphere.
European Institute for Marine Studies – 2018
The IUEM is member of the Interdisciplinary graduate School for the Blue planet ISblue
