Awardees

• Thesis title: ICCA-RE
• Type of project: Research
• Event: 2021

The ICCA-RE(Indigenous and Community Conserved Area for social-ecological REsilience?) project is an initiative of Aix-Marseille Université's ITEM Institute, coordinated by Didier Genin of the Laboratoire Population Environnement Développement (LPED).

The project aims to study the resilience of socio-ecological systems managed collectively by local communities, focusing on mountain pastoral areas in Andalusia, notably Castril, Santiago and Pontones.

The specific objectives of the ICCA-RE project are as follows:

• Analyze collective management and decision-making processes in these pastoral areas, as well as their dynamics in terms of livelihoods.
• Study the impacts of different levels of community governance on floristic composition, plant structure and phytomass production.

By contributing to current debates on the benefits, limits and potential of areas conserved by local communities, the ICCA-RE project seeks to promote modes of governance for natural resources that foster the resilience of socio-ecological systems in the face of global change.

• Thesis title: BIOEXTRACT
• Type of project: Research
• Event: 2021

The BioExtracT project(Le BIOmimétisme au service de l'EXTRACtion des Terres rares issues de sources secondaires) is an initiative of the Institut ITEM of Aix-Marseille Université, coordinated by Blanche Colin of CEREGE.

This project aims to develop innovative processes for extracting critical metals, in particular rare earths (REEs), from secondary sources such as industrial and mining residues. The approach is based on biomimicry, drawing inspiration from natural biological mechanisms to design extraction methods that are more respectful of the environment.

The main objectives of the BioExtracT project are :

• Identify biological molecules involved in the transfer of rare earths to living organisms.
• Test the complexation potential of these molecules for rare earths, by carrying out selective leaching tests on mining or industrial residues.

In a context of increasing pressure on strategic metal Resources, the production of critical metals from secondary sources is essential to support the development of technologies dependent on these materials, particularly those linked to the ecological transition. The BioExtracT project is therefore part of a circular economy and sustainable development approach, proposing innovative solutions for the recovery of industrial and mining waste.

The project has been selected as part of the ITEM Institute's call for projects in 2021, aimed at promoting interdisciplinary research in favor of environmental transition.

• Thesis title: RHIZOCARBONE+
• Type of project: Research
• Event: 2021

The RhizoCarbone+ project(Stimulating the plant-microorganism-mineral continuum to store carbon in soils) is an initiative of Aix-Marseille Université's ITEM Institute. It aims to boost organic carbon storage in soils by stimulating interactions between plants, microorganisms and minerals.

In the context of climate change mitigation and global food security, the storage of organic matter (and associated carbon) in soils is a major issue, concretized at COP21 by the Internationally "4 for 1000" initiative. This initiative emphasizes that agriculture, and in particular agricultural soils, can play a crucial role in food security and climate change. Although it has been established that increasing the supply of organic matter is a major agro-ecological lever, the mechanisms for stabilizing this matter in soils remain to be studied in greater depth.

The RhizoCarbone+ project seeks to overcome this obstacle by focusing on the stabilization of rhizodeposits, i.e. root exudates released by plants into the soil. These organic compounds play a key role in interactions with soil microorganisms and minerals, thus influencing carbon storage.

Specific objectives of the project include:

• Analyze rhizodeposition mechanisms and their role in carbon sequestration.
• Study the interactions between root exudates, microorganisms and minerals to understand soil carbon stabilization processes.
• Develop pedagogical approaches, such as the creation of a MOOC entitled "Interdisciplinarity for 4 for 1000", to disseminate the knowledge acquired and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

The project is led by an interdisciplinary team comprising I. Basile-Doelsch, T. Heulin, W. Achouak and E. Doelsch, with the participation of PhD students such as T. Girard and S. Wagon.

By combining fundamental and operational research, RhizoCarbone+ contributes to a better understanding of carbon cycles and stocks at different scales, offering prospects for the adoption of agricultural practices that promote carbon sequestration and combat climate change.

• Thesis title: BIODIVAQUART
• Type of project: Research
• Event: 2021

The BiodivAquArt(Aquatic Biodiversity in Art) project is an interdisciplinary initiative led by Aix-Marseille Université, aimed at enriching historical and ecological knowledge of past aquatic ecosystems by studying representations of aquatic species in works of art.

Project objectives:

• Historical ecology: Analyze the taxonomic composition of aquatic biodiversity represented in ancient art, using statistical tools of numerical ecology. This analysis makes it possible to interpret geographical and temporal variations in biodiversity as a function of environmental and cultural parameters.
• Art-nature connection: Quantitatively investigate the relationship between the aesthetic experience of works of art and the connection with nature, in particular aquatic ecosystems. This approach aims to understand how art can mediate the conservation of aquatic biodiversity.
• Scientific mediation: Disseminate the results of the project to the general public and scientific communities, notably through the publication of a popularization book and the organization of educational workshops.

Project team:

The project is coordinated by :

• Thomas Changeux: Biologist at the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanology (MIO).
• Daniel Faget: Historian affiliated with UMR TELEMMe, based at the Mediterranean centre for social sciences and humanities (MMSH).

The team also includes :

• Anne-Sophie Tribot: Post-doctoral researcher.
• Thomas Richard: PhD student.

Together, they bring complementary expertise in marine biology, art history and historical ecology.

Activities and outlook:

Since 2017, the team has been collecting data on the aquatic fauna depicted in works of art, particularly Roman paintings and mosaics.

A participatory website has been set up to enrich this database.

The project also includes the production of a popular book for the general public, to share the main findings and raise awareness of aquatic biodiversity conservation.

By combining the analysis of artistic representations and historical ecology, BiodivAquArt offers a unique perspective on the evolution of aquatic ecosystems and underlines the importance of art as a source of information for biodiversity conservation.

• Thesis title: RAPMED
• Type of project: Research
• Event : 2020

The RapMed (Automated Plankton Recognition to identify Ecological Transitions and Shifts in the Mediterranean) project is an initiative of Aix Marseille Université's ITEM Institute, aimed at studying the effects of recent environmental changes on planktonic communities in the Gulf of Lion.

The project focuses on analyzing the dynamics of planktonic communities at high resolution and different size scales, applying high-throughput image processing methods based on machine learning, in particular convolutional neural networks.

The results expected from RapMed should improve our understanding of the variability of planktonic communities and their resilience in the face of environmental change.

The project was also presented at the OSU Pytheas Scientific Day on Artificial Intelligence, highlighting the ParticleTrieur tool used in RapMed.

In addition, an 18-month post-doctoral position linked to the RapMed project was published, highlighting the importance of phytoplankton time series analysis for understanding ecological transitions in the Mediterranean.

• Thesis title: ALCOVE
• Type of project: Research
• Event: 2020

The ALCOVE (AgricuLture bioContrôle biOfertilisant ViticolEs) project is an initiative of Aix-Marseille Université's ITEM Institute, running from 2020 to 2024, aimed at developing sustainable agricultural practices in winegrowing systems.

ALCOVE's main objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of biocontrol products and a biofertilizer developed from agricultural by-products fermented in solid media.

The project brings together experts in environmental and social sciences to optimize production and test these innovative solutions, while involving local stakeholders in the development of the project.

Project members include Isabelle Laffont-Schwob, project partner, and Flor Regus, a PhD student involved in the evaluation of these new agricultural practices.

ALCOVE is part of a circular economy approach, aimed at respecting human health and the biodiversity of agrosystems, while increasing the sustainability of viticultural practices.

• Thesis title: POP
• Type of project: Research
• Event : 2020

The POP Transition project (Des polluants réglementaires aux polluants émergents - Impact des politiques de gestion sur la transition écologique en zone littorale méditerranéenne) is an initiative of Aix Marseille Université's ITEM Institute. Its aim is to study the contamination of the Mediterranean coastline by brominated flame retardants (BFRs), priority or emerging hazardous substances.

The main aim of the project is to develop sampling tools, multi-scale sampling stations and biological indices, and to conduct field surveys to assess the impact of these pollutants on the chemical quality of the environment, coastal habitats, benthic ecosystems and fishery resources. This work also aims to understand the consequences of this contamination on fishing.

The results expected from the POP Transition project should provide monitoring tools for assessing the effectiveness of water resources management policies. These tools will help to guide industry and society towards an ecological transition, by responding to the challenges posed by the growing and evolving input of anthropogenic contaminants in coastal areas.

The project is part of a broader approach to environmental transition, developing sentinel methods to address biodiversity loss and environmental health risks associated with emerging pollutants.