STATOVIE

Intertidal mudflats are major coastal ecosystems, essential to the functioning of coastal areas and to carbon and nutrient cycling. However, their strong temporal and spatial variability remains difficult to document: observations are still mainly based on discrete field campaigns, which do not allow continuous monitoring of changes in ecosystem functioning.

The STATOVIE project aims to develop a modular, scalable and deployable intertidal observation station capable of continuously acquiring high-frequency physical, morphological, biological and biogeochemical data. A first demonstrator will be developed and deployed on the Lanveur Bay mudflat, in Brest Bay. The station will combine environmental sensors with innovative instrumental developments. In the longer term, STATOVIE aims to lay the foundations for a high-frequency observation network for intertidal mudflats, improving our understanding of their functioning and evolution in the face of environmental change.