AI for the marine environment, interdisciplinary seminar for young researchers in Marrakech

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The International and Interdisciplinary Seminar ‘AI and Marine Science’ was held on 26, 27 and 28 November 2024 at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech.

This seminar is part of the Nawras Project, which aims to assess the legal protection of the marine environment using Artificial Intelligence. Co-organised by Cadi Ayyad University and the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, it brought together researchers in marine science, law and artificial intelligence working on cross-disciplinary subjects.

The seminar provided an opportunity to meet and discuss common issues using a variety of innovative approaches, thereby stimulating interdisciplinarity and collaboration between young researchers. The presentations combined global themes, ethical issues and specific applications. Thesis topics presented as posters were also displayed during the seminar.

The young researchers will promote the work of this interdisciplinary and intercultural seminar with a conference for the general public to be held on Thursday 5 December 2024 at Cadi Ayyad University to present the variety of ocean protection issues and emerging prospects.

First annual meeting of the METABOLICA Thematic Network

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The METABOLICA Thematic Network is organizing its first annual meeting on October 2 and 3, 2024 in La Rochelle (Amphitheater Coutant- Aquarium de La Rochelle).This meeting will be an opportunity to promote exchanges between scientists interested in metabolism, whatever their methods, scales and study models.

You can find the program on the symposium website

This event is supported by the CNRS Ecologie & Environnement, the La Rochelle University incentive program, , Loligo Systems, Pyroscience, and the Aquarium de La Rochelle

Expé-1point5 publication in “One Earth”

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Here is a link to a publication by Olivier Ragueneau and Audrey Sabbagh, published on May 17 in the journal “One Earth.” It describes the philosophy and objectives of the experiment that has been co-led since 2020 by LEMAR (IUEM) and UMR MERIT (Université Paris Cité) as part of the Labos 1point5 collective. The Expé-1point5 aims to stimulate changes in laboratory research practices to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As its title suggests, “From carbon to meaning,” it goes beyond the climate perspective to question the very meaning of our research activities under climate constraints: is it possible to maintain high-quality research, and even increase it, notably through the idea of ​​slow science, while reducing GHG emissions and improving the quality of life at work? The idea of ​​this article is to propose making research a transformation demonstrator to achieve environmentally and socially sustainable research.

Enjoy the reading!

Read the article:
“From carbon to meaning: Experimenting for sustainable science”

Claire Hellio, Knight of the French National Order of Merit

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Congratulations to our colleague Claire Hellio who has just been appointed “Knight of the National Order of Merit“! This national distinction has a threefold purpose: to reflect the dynamism of society, set an example, and recognize the diversity (cultural, social, and economic) of French society. Claire had already received in September 2023 the CNRS Innovation Medal.

These two distinctions reward her work in biotechnology, which aims to develop environmentally friendly solutions from marine-derived compounds for cosmetic products or antifouling, among others.

You can find the other personalities from Finistère appointed to the National Order of Merit in this article from Ouest-France.

 

Fish acoustics for monitoring the effects of overfishing and climate change on food security in West Africa

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An acoustic study, whose first author is a Senegalese former thesis student of Lemar, has revealed a notable northward shift in the spatial distribution of small pelagic fish species exploited in the waters of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (northwest Africa). The results, covering a period of two decades of acoustic halieutic surveys conducted by sub-regional acoustics experts aboard the F. Nansen vessel (IMR, Norway), highlight the impact of rising sea surface temperature and changes in upwelling intensity on marine ecosystems in the sub-region. Mauritania and Senegal are observing a strong increase in sea surface temperature and a decrease in its primary productivity, while the region further north is experiencing a continuous increase in upwelling. Significant spatial anomalies in sea surface temperature have contributed to the northward shift of several small pelagic fish species, including Sardinella aurita (round sardinella), species highly prized in Senegal.

The study emphasizes that the Senegalo-Mauritanian zone has experienced the most pronounced warming of surface waters among all intertropical regions in the world in recent decades. The study identified significant anomalies in sea surface temperature around Cape Blanc and to the south, ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 °C per decade, influencing fish distribution. During the study period, Sardinella aurita displayed a northward shift of approximately 180 km, coinciding with an increase in sea surface temperatures and reduced primary productivity in the south. The northward shift of small pelagic fish poses potential economic and social challenges, particularly for countries such as Senegal, where fisheries are a source of numerous jobs and contribute to food security, and Mauritania, where fisheries contribute significantly to gross domestic product.

Fishmeal factories and fishing fleets are already contributing to severe overexploitation of small pelagics, particularly Sardinella aurita. The effects of climate change (cumulative with those of overexploitation) exacerbate the pressure on these valuable fishery resources. Changes in fish distribution can disrupt the entire marine food chain, affecting biomass production and species composition.

The study underscores the need for regular monitoring and increased research efforts to better understand the dynamics of this marine ecosystem and ensure the sustainability of fishery resources, vital for the countries concerned. This is particularly important for protecting food security and the economic well-being of coastal communities in West Africa.

The results call for strengthening national fisheries research structures, expertise in acoustic halieutics, and the need for sub-regional collaboration on transboundary fish stocks to prevent potential fishing-related conflicts and manage resources sustainably. Moreover, it is urgent to address overfishing and the impacts of fishmeal production, which adds an additional threat to the effects of climate change on exploited small pelagics.

The CRODT[1], IMROP[2], INRH[3], FD[4] and IRD, are committed to advancing marine research. They emphasize the importance of adaptive management strategies, concerted at the sub-regional level (countries of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (CSRP)), to address current and future challenges posed by climate change and overfishing.

Scientific Contact

Patrice.Brehmer@ird.fr *

*Corresponding author of the scientific publication

Article Link (Springer nature, Scientific report)

Abdoulaye Sarre, Hervé Demarcq, Noel Keenlyside, Jens-Otto Krakstad, Salaheddine El Ayoubi, Ahmed Mohamed Jeyid, Saliou Faye, Adama Mbaye, Momodou Sidibeh, & Patrice Brehmer*. Climate change impacts on small pelagic fish distribution in Northwest Africa: trends, shifts, and risk for food security Scientific Report, 12434 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61734-8

Photographs, including aerial and underwater:

https://multimedia.ird.fr/IRD/search.do?q=Brehmer+Patrice&lang=fr

 

[1] Centre de recherche océanographique de Dakar Thiaroye, Senegal

[2] Institut Mauritanien de Recherches Océanographiques et de Pêches

[3] Institut National de Recherche Halieutique, Morocco

[4] Fisheries Department, The Gambia