Monday, April 25, 2022
Since its origin, in January 2011, the philanthropic association of general interest OceanoScientific primarily targets young people in CE2-CM1-CM2 classes with the aim of making them RESPECT and LOVE the Ocean. To this end, Carla Di Santo, Scientific Coordinator & Diving Manager of theOceanoScientific Expeditions, assisted The Sea Workshop on Wednesday April 13 to take a group of twenty-four girls and boys aged six to twelve on a snorkeling trip to raise their awareness of the marine environment and to discover the animals of the Mediterranean shallows in their natural habitat. These children are from one of the programs offered by Synergy Family, co-founded by Laurent Choukroun and Frank Tortel, which has offered for more than ten years the opportunity for all kinds of activities aimed at individual and collective development. This trip to sea, financed by"Marseille Capital of the Sea", registered in operation "A step towards the sea", resulting from the collaboration of four partners: Marseille Capitale de la Mer, Synergie Family, Le Cercle des Nageurs and the CMA CGM Foundation. Thus, children learn to swim and live edutainment experiences to understand, love and respect the sea. Let us remember on this occasion that "Marseille Capital of the Sea" brings together the living forces of the Marseille city, whether economic, cultural, industrial, craft, sporting, gastronomic, environmental, academic, social, or institutional, to enhance the sea as an urban resource. The association team OceanoScientific is therefore happy to support this initiative to raise awareness of the major role of the sea in our urban lives.
OceanoScientific
eDNA Mediterranean
Expedition 2024
Wednesday 28 August 2024
Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Sites
The most important part of the OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Expedition 2024 was successfully carried out in July and August on 15 Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Sites (MBSS) along the coast of the Southern Region of France, in the departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Var and Bouches-du-Rhône. To date, thirty environmental DNA (eDNA) samples have already been handed over to the teams of Professor David Mouillot (Marbec Joint Research Unit - University of Montpellier), who is leading the scientific aspect of this innovative campaign in collaboration with Benjamin Allegrini (Spygen). The aim is to complete the major survey carried out in 2023, which led to the very first scientific inventory of marine biodiversity (fish and crustacean species) on the French Mediterranean coast, to which the OceanoScientific team contributed from Menton to Gruissan. This mission, coordinated by Justine Camus (OceanoScientific), was once again part of the BioDivMed Mission initiated by Pierre Boissery (Rhone Mediterranean Corsica water Agency). It was carried out in total autonomy thanks to the oceanographic logistics platform LOVE THE OCEAN (Lagoon 570). This catamaran sailed in total energy autonomy, without ever entering a port other than for the departure and arrival of the expedition. Every evening, the crew used the DONIA application, designed and distributed by Andromède Océanologie, to find an area free of Posidonia where they could drop anchor. It's an indispensable tool! A final 2024 campaign to collect eDNA samples is being organized by OceanoScientific for this September.
Thirty samples of environmental DNA (eDNA) were collected by the OceanoScientific team, coordinated by Justine Camus (right) with the help of Clara Bayol, a biology engineer (left) and Amélie Bayol (center), who was driving the Vanguard-Suzuki professional RIB. Photo OceanoScientific
Each Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site (MBSS) is identified on the map on the OceanoScientific Explorer LOVE THE OCEAN's computer and Yvan Griboval, its skipper, ensures that the catamaran is positioned at one of the ends of this one nautical mile (1,852 m) stretch. Photo Justine Meddah - Groupe Nice-Matin
For optimum conditions of work, the crew of the Vanguard-Suzuki prefer to collect the eDNA at daybreak, when the sea is no rougher than a lake. Photo OceanoScientific
The LOVE THE OCEAN catamaran (Lagoon 570) is completely self-sufficient in energy thanks to 2,000 watts of solar panels. It is also the logistical base for the eDNA collection team, which is protected from the sun and powerful reverberation by effective PhytoQuant suncare products. Photo Justine Meddah - Groupe Nice-Matin
Collecting samples of marine eDNA requires an extremely rigorous procedure, always repeated identically, as defined by the scientists at Spygen. The most delicate task is not to pollute the small suction strainer through which the filtered seawater flows. Photo Justine Meddah - Groupe Nice-Matin
The typical marine eDNA collection team is made up of three people, including a scientist: here Clara Bayol (center). This image shows the pump installed on the port side (left) of the Vanguard-Suzuki, filtering the seawater. Photo OceanoScientific
Thanks to a process designed by Yvan Griboval (OceanoScientific), the pump is positioned on the Vanguard-Suzuki in such a way that marine eDNA is systematically collected at a constant depth. The onboard scientist just makes sure that the flow rate is regular so that thirty liters of seawater are effectively filtered. Photo OceanoScientific
The route of the Vanguard-Suzuki must be perfectly straight, so that it remains above the sounding line (20/30 m) selected by Professor David Mouillot as a priority Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site. This is the job of Justine Camus, who is also taking note of all the observations that will be necessary when it comes to interpreting the results. Photo OceanoScientific
In terms of safety, the crew of the Vanguard-Suzuki is in permanent contact by VHF with the LOVE THE OCEAN catamaran. The Lagoon 570's logbook records the start and end times of the collections - two collections per Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site. Photo OceanoScientific
While the collection team carries out its mission at a speed of 2 knots (3.7 km/h), the catamaran LOVE THE OCEAN, which is being sailed solo by Yvan Griboval, remains close by as an attentive ‘watchdog’ observing the evolution of sailing conditions, which are often changeable in summer near the coast. Photo OceanoScientific
Once the environmental DNA has been collected by filtering thirty liters of seawater per section of the Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site (two sections per SSBM), the scientist, in this case Clara Bayol, pours into the filter container a ‘top secret’ preparation designed by the company Spygen to ensure that the eDNA strands are perfectly preserved until they are analyzed by the UMR Marbec - University of Montpellier. Photo OceanoScientific
Wednesday 3 July 2024
Princely departure for the BioDivMed Mission2024
On Thursday 27 June at the Yacht Club de Monaco, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince Albert II picked up the moorings handed to Him by Yvan Griboval for the departure of the second OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Expedition. This expedition is part of the BioDivMed Mission launched by the Rhone Mediterranean Corsica water Agency in collaboration with the Joint Research Unit Marbec - University of Montpellier and the Spygen company. As soon as they left the Y.C.M. Marina, the crew of the Lagoon 570 LOVE THE OCEAN headed east to collect eDNA samples at the Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site (MBSS) of Menton, at the eastern end of the French mainland Mediterranean coastline, along which no fewer than sixty MBSSs have been identified as far as the Spanish border. After the LOVE THE OCEAN’s return to its technical base in Port Saint Louis du Rhône, its crew will be collecting eDNA from around twenty Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Sites from Monaco to Carnon (Hérault - France) using the Vanguard - Suzuki RIB fitted with a unique equipment developed by OceanoScientific. It enables eDNA samples to be collected with the utmost scientific rigor.
H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince picked up the moorings of the catamaran LOVE THE OCEAN from Yvan Griboval as he left the pontoon of honor of the Yacht Club de Monaco for the launch of the OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Expedition 2024.
Photo Axel Ballesto - Palais Princier
Before setting sail, Justine Camus, Coordinator of the OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Expedition, Yvan Griboval and Clara Bayol took delivery of the Spygen kits for collecting the eDNA samples brought by Professor David Mouillot and Marie Orblin, Research Engineer at the UMR Marbec - University of Montpellier. Photo OceanoScientific
Just before the LOVE THE OCEAN set sail, Professor David Mouillot recalled the excellent results of the BioDivMed Mission 2023, in which the OceanoScientific association played an active part, and insisted on the need to repeat this type of eDNA collection every year on around sixty Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Sites between Menton and Banyuls-sur-Mer.
Photo Mesi - Yacht Club de Monaco
H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince and Bernard d'Alessandri, General Director of the Yacht Club de Monaco wished "Bon Vent" to the crew of the LOVE THE OCEAN, engaged for the second year running in the BioDivMed Mission.
Photo Mesi - Yacht Club de Monaco
Aboard the Vanguard - Suzuki, Justine Camus (front left) and her team on 27 June: Clara Bayol (back), Marie Orblin and Simon Huret at the controls, carried out the first double collection of eDNA at the Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site (MBSS) of Menton. Photo OceanoScientific
Wednesday 26 June 2024
BioDivMed Mission 2024 between Menton and Carnon
Following on from the OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Expedition 2023, carried out as part of the BioDivMed Mission 2023, the second edition of this oceanographic campaign will leave the Yacht Club de Monaco on Thursday 27 June at 11.00 AM and will begin by collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) samples from the Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site (MBSS) of Menton, at the eastern end of the French mainland Mediterranean coastline, where no fewer than sixty MBSSs have been identified as far as the Spanish border. This OceanoScientific Expedition is part of a first cycle 2023-2027. The OceanoScientific association is a member of the BioDivMed Consortium set up at the initiative of the Rhone Mediterranean Corsica water Agency with the Joint Research Unit Marbec - University of Montpellier and the company Spygen. Under the scientific direction of Professor David Mouillot (Marbec - University of Montpellier), the OceanoScientific team will this year be collecting eDNA samples from around twenty Sentinel Sites from Menton (Alpes-Maritimes) to Carnon (Hérault) using the Lagoon 570 LOVE THE OCEAN fitted with a Vanguard - Suzuki RIB.
No fewer than sixty Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Sites (MBSS) have been identified, most of them as a result of the experience gained during the OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Expedition 2023 carried out as part of the BioDivMed Mission.
Wednesday 19 June 2024
Meet us at the Yacht Club de Monaco
Thursday 27 June at 11.00 AM
Following the success of the OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Expedition 2023, the oceanography logistics platform LOVE THE OCEAN will leave the pontoon of honor of the Yacht Club de Monaco at 11.00 AM on Thursday 27 June, marking the start of the second edition of this scientific campaign as part of the BioDivMed Mission. The OceanoScientific association is a member of the BioDivMed Consortium, which brings together, on the initiative of the Rhone Mediterranean Corsica water Agency: the Joint Research Unit Marbec - University of Montpellier in collaboration with the Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle & Évolutive, the compagnies Spygen and Andromède Océanologie as well as the philanthropic associations We are Méditerranée and OceanoScientific. Yvan Griboval and his team, coordinated by Justine Camus, will begin this second mission to identify the fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods of the Mediterranean coast at the Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Station of Menton. On the occasion of the departure of the Yacht Club de Monaco, Professor David Mouillot (Marbec - University of Montpellier) will present the positive and encouraging results of the BioDivMed Mission 2023 and the future prospects for this strategy of a synchronized and standardized scientific inventory of coastal marine biodiversity: an innovation that positions France as a leader in this unprecedented ... and truly effective method.
