Le projet Art et science Habloom s’expose tout l’été à Rostrenen

, , ,

Based in Rostrenen in central Brittany, La Fourmi-e is an association that develops and promotes art in rural areas. Through its programme of residencies and festivals, La Fourmi-e accompanies and supports artists in the visual and contemporary arts. Every year, the association organises a visual and contemporary art festival called ‘In Cité’ in the public space of Rostrenen. The 10th edition of this festival took place from 5 to 13 June, with the theme of water.

As part of In Cité #10, La Fourmi-e is organising ‘Plongez !’ (Dive in!), a collective photography exhibition with Anso, Hortense Le Calvez and Pauline Isabelle Hégaret, in co-production with Espace d’Apparence, at the Blavet aquatic centre from 13 June to 5 September.

Among these artists, Pauline Isabelle Hégaret collaborated with Hélène Hégaret and Caroline Fabioux as part of their ANR HABIS project. This collaboration between art and science gave rise to the HABLOOM project, which aims to create artistic works around the impacts of harmful algal blooms. These works will be on display all summer long in Rostrenen!

Transpel conference: relive the special evening at Oceanopolis

, ,

From 1 to 4 April 2025, the TRANSPEL Conference ‘Small pelagic fish at the heart of socio-ecosystems in transition’ was held at the Pôle Numérique Brest-Iroise (Plouzané).
For a week, scientists and professionals were able to discuss the interdisciplinary topic of small pelagic fish and their value chains and share the results of four fundamental and applied research projects: OMEGA (Flagship IsBlue), DEFIPEL (FFP funding), FORESEA (DS IFREMER funding) and DELMOGES (MTE, DGAMPA and FFP funding), all of which will be completed in 2024 or 2025.
In addition to the scientific conference, a public event was organised on Wednesday 2 April at 8.30 pm in the auditorium of Océanopolis. This event was filmed and we invite you to relive this wonderful scientific and musical moment:

 

CEPA 7 : animal ecophysiology conference in Brest

, , ,

Biodiversity is facing a major environmental crisis. It is therefore urgent to identify the impact of environmental constraints on the ecological and physiological functioning of animal species, but also the adaptations implemented by these organisms to respond to environmental changes.
Animal ecophysiology is a crucial discipline at this level, integrating the mechanisms underlying metabolism, energetics, behaviour, reproduction, communication and many other animal functions, from the gene to the population.
In France, every two years, a large community of ecophysiologists, bringing together researchers from various backgrounds, organises the Animal Ecophysiology Symposium, CEPA. This symposium provides an opportunity to communicate new results from basic and applied research in the field to a community that is both scientific and professional. This large community encourages the sharing of knowledge and scientific advances while strengthening the spirit of cohesion in research.
After Lyon (2013), La Rochelle (2015), Strasbourg (2017), Rennes (2019), Montpellier (2021) and Tours (2023), this conference will take place for the first time at the other end of the world, in Brest. It will enable as many researchers and students as possible to present their latest results and reflections.
This 7th edition will take place from 28 to 30 October 2025, in the amphitheatre of the Pôle numérique Brest Iroise in Plouzané.

Key dates to come :

  • Deadline for abstract submission: before 15 June 2025
  • Early bird registration deadline: 15 August 2025
  • Late bird registration deadline: 15 September 2025


Find all the practical information and the programme on the conference website.



CEPA 7 would like to thank its partners

A look back at the EPC conference in Brest

,

The 8th European Phycology Congress (EPC8), co-organized by Philippe Potin (Roscoff Biological Station – SBR) and Solène Connan (LEMAR-IUEM-UBO) under the authority of the Federation of European Phycology Societies (FEPS) and the Phycological Society of France (SPF), took place from August 20 to 26 at the Brest Arena. Supported by the Brittany Region, the Finistère Departmental Council, Brest Métropole, the University of Western Brittany, and ISblue, this congress brought together nearly 600 researchers, professors, PhD students, and Master’s students from 42 countries whose research focuses on algae, whether micro or macroalgae living in freshwater or marine environments.

Plenary presentations were held each day, covering topics such as the reproduction of red macroalgae, the diversity and adaptation of phytoplankton, diatoms and light, and kelp forests (Laminariales). Oral presentations and posters were grouped into 20 symposia in 6 sessions covering taxonomy, phylogenomics, biotechnology, primary production, the role of algae in ecosystems, and algae and the general public. Several PhD students, Master’s students, and staff from LEMAR and AMURE presented their work in these different symposia. On Wednesday, excursions (Molène, Crozon, Roscoff, Plouguerneau) or workshops were offered. About twenty companies, including local algae valorization enterprises, as well as the Chambre Syndicale des Algues et Végétaux Marines and the Cluster Algues-Bretagne, were represented and sponsored this congress.

Participants also had the opportunity to admire an exhibition titled “Immersion in the Heart of Algae,” at the interface of “Arts and Sciences,” related to the fascinating world of algae, whether planktonic and microscopic or forming vast underwater forests off our coasts. This immersive exhibition featured original works by artists inspired by marine algae, such as the work IGLOO OPUS II by Caroline Desnoëttes, in which sounds recorded within kelp forests by Lucia Di Iorio were played. The exhibition also showcased beautiful photographs of macro- and microalgae (photographers: Erwan Amice, Wilfried Thomas, Sébastien Colin & Marie Walde) and the “Planctonarium” dome created as part of the Plancton Planète project.

Furthermore, on August 21, a public evening on the theme “Intriguing Algae: Cooking, Cultivating, Understanding,” hosted by Vincent Doumeizel (UN Global Seaweed Coalition), attracted nearly 300 people who came to discover the exhibition and listen to presentations by Line Le Gall (MNHN) on algae, Hugo Morel (Bord à Bord) on seaweed cuisine, which included a tasting of seaweed tartare and chips, Martial Laurans (Ifremer) on seaweed harvesting and cultivation, and Marine Landa (SBR) on their microbiome.

Congress participants left delighted with the organization (a big thank you to the student volunteers!), the scientific program of the conference devised by Inka Bartsch (AWI, Bremerhaven, Germany), and Wiebe Kooistra (Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy), the exhibition, the venue (Brest-Arena), the meals served during the congress (featuring many local dishes), excursions or workshops, and the gala evening organized at Les Capucins, during which they could dance to Breton music!

And now, let the preparations for EPC9 in Krakow, Poland in 2027 begin!

PAMPAS project exhibition: Coastal marsh heritage

, ,

The PAMPAS project – Évolution de l’identité PAtrimoniale des Marais des Pertuis charentais en réponse à l’Aléa de Submersion marine, 2019-2023 – is a collaborative research project funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) and led by the Littoral Environnement et Sociétés de La Rochelle laboratory (LIENSs, CNRS – La Rochelle University). It aims to understand the future of coastal wetlands, focusing on the evolution of the heritage identity of the marshes of the Pertuis Charentais in response to flooding over half a century.
The marshes of Charente-Maritime: a unique study area presenting:

  • A strong heritage identity – landscape, biodiversity, architectural heritage
  • Vulnerability to submersions,
  • Contrasted management methods and a concentration of numerous economic activities – agriculture, shellfish farming, tourism … whose sustainability can be questioned.

In a context of increasing populations and activities in coastal areas, the preservation and maintenance of these socio-ecosystems are essential to safeguard the quality and functions of these constrained environments. The project has expanded the concept of heritage identity to include the ecological and environmental functions of marshes, such as:

  • Their adaptation to the overall rise in sea level through sedimentation,
  • Their role as a buffer against marine submersions limiting the rise in sea level in adjacent areas,
  • Their role in water filtration, nutrient recycling, carbon sequestration, habitat provision, and nursery functions for numerous species.

This project chose to go beyond traditional approaches to the assessment of conservation ecology, economics, and cultural heritage management, all considered insufficient to comprehend heritage as the entirety of components contributing to the collective identity of a marsh.

PAMPAS has:

  • Adopted an interdisciplinary approach applied to three study areas (the marshes of Brouage, Fier d’Ars, and Tasdon), contrasting in terms of natural, cultural, and landscape heritage, as well as management practices: in debate between laissez-faire and embankment, heavily embanked, and reconnected to the sea, respectively.
  • Built a collective approach and participatory engineering, crossing expertise in Humanities and Social Sciences, Life and Earth Sciences, and involving marsh managers, with 48 people from 13 research units and 9 disciplines.

The 3 major objectives of PAMPAS are to:

  • Characterize the natural, cultural, and landscape functions of the marshes and spatially represent these different components of heritage identity;
  • Represent the socio-ecosystem of marshes in terms of functionality, services, resilience, or adaptability to hazards;
  • Define scenarios for the evolution of the heritage identity of the three study sites facing submersion hazards and assess their adaptive potential. These results will be discussed through an interactive mapping tool.

In conclusion, based on a revised definition of heritage identity adapted to marsh areas, PAMPAS provides a new vision for sustainable marsh management by transmitting economic, cultural, and ecological knowledge. The challenges and issues of this project thus far exceed the local level and concern wetlands globally, for which it is now necessary to reconsider analysis and management frameworks, integrating heritage in its various socio-ecosystemic dimensions.

This heritage is not always visible or recognized as such by the entire population. Therefore, this exhibition aims to reveal to the general public not only the results of a research project but also the objects (animals, plants, structures, landscapes, activities, etc.) that could be recognized as full-fledged heritage in the marshes. Showing the invisible, less easily perceived objects, and highlighting the ecological functions of the marshes is the objective of this exhibition.

The exhibition will be visible from September 30 to November 4 at the Ecomuseum of Loix en Ré (Ile de Ré)