Awardees

• 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.