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
Région Sud Expedition 2025
Wednesday 30 July 2025
Implementation of 45 Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Sites in the Région Sud
In mid-July, in Villefranche-sur-Mer and in the Bay of Cannes, the OceanoScientific association embarked on a major scientific challenge. The aim is to set up 45 Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Sites (MBSS) along the French coastline of the Région Sud, from Menton to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, to collect environmental DNA (eDNA) samples using a procedure developed jointly by SpyGen, the undisputed leader in the study of DNA in natural environments, and Yvan Griboval, the initiator of this expedition, which is being conducted with energy autonomy and without CO2 emission aboard the Lagoon 570 LOVE THE OCEAN. Objective: To complete the work already carried out on the initiative of Pierre Boissery (Rhone Mediterranean Corsica water Agency) with the BioDivMed 2023 Mission, of which the OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Expedition 2023 is a part.
This OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Région Sud Expedition 2025 will enable the establishment of a standardized inventory of fish species in general, and invasive species in particular - including the famous Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) - in the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region at depths not exceeding 30 meters. The aim is to provide coastal fishermen with reliable scientific information to promote sustainable fishing and sustainable food supply chains, but also to assist local authorities in the coastal areas of the departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Var, and Bouches-du-Rhône to optimize the management of their coastal waters and marine protected areas, thanks to reliable and unprecedented information on local marine biodiversity.
Aboard the Vanguard – Suzuki, specially equipped for collecting marine DNA samples, Justine Camus (left), OceanoScientific Expeditions Coordinator, ensures that the peristaltic pump is working properly, while Léa Griboval writes down the metadata and Elisabeth Lieutaud makes sure that the RIB follows a straight course along the Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site transect.
Photo OceanoScientific
The OceanoScientific eDNA Mediterranean Région Sud Expedition 2025 made a stopover in the beautiful bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer thanks to the support of the municipal team led by Dr. Christophe Trojani (Mayor), who is committed not only to preserve the environment, but also to learn more about the marine biodiversity with an unprecedented scientific precision.
Photo OceanoScientific
Collecting eDNA samples along the coastline of the Région Sud (Departments 06 - 83 - 13) offers the privilege of navigating in exceptional locations, such as here along the point that closes the Bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer just before the Cap of Nice.
Photo OceanoScientific
During the collection of eDNA samples at the Villefranche-sur-Mer Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site (MBSS 05), Claudie Khokhlov (center, at the helm), Municipal Councilor for Local and Community Life and Water Sports in Villefranche-sur-Mer, joined Yvan Griboval and Justine Camus on board. Photo OceanoScientific
Before starting to collect eDNA samples aboard the Vanguard - Suzuki, here at the Cannes - La Bocca Marine Biodiversity Sentinel Site (MBSS 13), the team led by Justine Camus (right) is getting ready while still moored to the Lagoon 570 LOVE THE OCEAN, which serves as the floating base for all OceanoScientific Expeditions. Photo OceanoScientific
This image of marine DNA collection illustrates the concentration of the crew of the Vanguard - Suzuki as part of the OceanoScientific Expedition. Extreme rigor allows for comparison of data collected from one year to the next, thereby scientifically verifying how coastal marine biodiversity evolves over time... Photo OceanoScientific