In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly decided that, as from 2009, 8 June would be designated by the United Nations as “World Oceans Day” (resolution 63/111, paragraph 171).  Many countries have celebrated World Oceans Day following the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

The oceans cover about two-thirds of the surface of the Earth and are the very foundations of life. They generate most of the oxygen we breathe, absorb a large share of carbon dioxide emissions, provide food and nutrients and regulate climate. They are important economically for countries that rely on tourism, fishing and other marine resources for income and serve as the backbone of international trade.

Unfortunately, human pressures, including overexploitation, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, destructive fishing, as well as unsustainable aquaculture practices, marine pollution, habitat destruction, alien species, climate change and ocean acidification are taking a significant toll on the world’s oceans and seas.

Peace and security are also critical to the full enjoyment of the benefits that can be derived from the oceans and for their sustainable development. As has been remarked by the Secretary-General: “There will be no development without security and no security without development.” To know more http://www.un.org/en/events/oceansday/

This year’s theme for the Day is “Our oceans, our future” and is connected to the Ocean Conference taking place from 5 to 9 June at United Nations headquarters in New York, where ECOMERS is represented as a part of the French delegation.

To know more about the Ocean Conference http://www.un.org/en/conf/ocean/index.shtml

Workshop on methodologies and techniques of environmental, economic and social monitoring of small scale fisheries

In the framework of FishMPABlue 2 project (co-funded by Med Programme) the Ecomers lab, together with other project partners and Cote Bleue Marine Park, organized the workshop “Methodologies and techniques of environmental, economic and social monitoring of small scale fisheries”. The workshop was held at Cote Bleue Marine Park’s premises in Carry Le Rouet (Marseille, France) on 4-5 April 2017.

About 30 attendees (including project partners, managers and scientists from 11 Mediterranean MPAs) lively and successfully discussed about the methodologies that will be adopted in FishMPABlue 2 to investigate the ecological, economic and social dimension of the socio-ecological system represented by MPAs and small scale fisheries in the Mediterranean.

The workshop was the occasion to underline that both ecological and socio-economic assessments are pivotal to capture the full complexity of these systems and properly manage them.

The Monaco Ocean Week, organized in various key places in the Principality, will provide an opportunity for local actors and major international organizations to share their experiences and deepen their thinking on the conservation of the marine environment and the sustainable development of a blue economy.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and its partners are pleased to invite you to numerous events open to the public, and among them one where the Ecomers lab is involved:

Saturday, april 1st, 10h00 - 14h00 at Stars’n’Bars, 6 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000 Monaco

"From the Sea to the Plate", the sustainable consumption of seafood (free entry).

On November 29th, 2016 at the MedPAN Forum on Marine Protected Areas held in Tangier (Morocco), The Science of Marine Protected Areas-Mediterranean Version report has been officially presented. This global scientific synthesis about marine protected areas (MPAs) demonstrates that MPAs provide ecological, economic, and social benefits to the Mediterranean region. However, because many MPAs in the region are not enforced and fully protected areas account for only 0.04% of the Mediterranean, the report concludes that the region could benefit from enhanced compliance and enforcement of existing MPAs, as well as expansion of the area in fully protected status.

The report is the outcome of a two-year, international project that engaged scientists, policy experts, and MPA managers to investigate the scientific evidence regarding MPAs. The effort was funded by The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Total Foundation, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the French "Agence des Aires Marines Protégées", Regional Activity Center for Specially Protected Areas (RAC-SPA), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Oregon State University, and the Network of Marine Protected Area Managers in the Mediterranean (MedPAN).

Fabrizio Gianni has recently defended his PhD thesis "Conservation and ecological restoration of Mediterranean marine forests” in front of an international committee composed of Dr. Enrique Ballesteros (reviewer, Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes), Pr. Ester Serrão (reviewer, University of Algarve), Pr. Alexandre Meinesz (jury president, Université Nice-Sophia Antipolis), Pr. Nick Shears (University of Auckland), Dr. Rodolphe Lemée (Université Paris 6-Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche sur Mer), Pr. Airoldi Laura (co-supervisor, University of Bologna) and Dr. Luisa Mangialajo (supervisor, University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis).

This thesis was founded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) [grant number 290056] within the project MMMPA-Training Network for Monitoring Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas.

Abstract
Several important marine habitats exist worldwide, both in tropical and in temperate waters, and many of them are already suffering the effects of multiple human impacts. A widespread loss of marine forests of large brown seaweeds has been observed in the recent decades. Their loss leads to an ecosystem-shift towards less complex turf beds or sea urchin barren grounds, devoid of any erect vegetation. A wide arrays of human activities are causing this regression: eutrophication, coastal urbanisation, high sedimentation rates, destructive fishing and overfishing of sea urchins predators.
In the framework of the MMMPA project, this PhD work aimed to address some important topics related to the conservation and restoration of algal forests, with a particular attention to the role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and fish herbivory. Multiple complementary approaches were used: macroalgae surveys, literature reviews, manipulative experiments in the field, tank-based experiments and GIS habitat mapping.
Results from field experiments showed that native herbivorous fish, likely Sarpa salpa (salemas), can be the most effective herbivore of intertidal Cystoseira belts both on natural and artificial substrates. Indeed, salemas strongly affected Cystoseira stricta fitness, being able to decrease the growth, biomass and reproductive output of natural forests and limit restoration success on artificial substrates. Likely, the role of the herbivorous fish in structuring macroalgal communities has been overlooked in the Mediterranean Sea so far.
A review of the existing literature showed that knowledge on marine forests forming species has improved in recent decades. However, most of the research is not in relation to MPAs, likely due to the fact that marine forests are not always included in MPAs planning and management plans. Studies on marine forests are not homogeneously distributed in the world, being concentrated in the developed countries where marine forests sustain industrial activities or where their importance is recognised. Interestingly, an increase of the awareness of marine forests importance and of the scientific interest (published papers) was observed. Nowadays, marine forests are under continuous threats and especially sensitive to multiple impacts. Hence, conservation measures and recovery strategies should be urgently set up. Degraded/lost forests should be restored according to the guidelines and suggestions discussed in this PhD work, keeping in mind that the conservation of the existing forests in MPAs has always to be considered as a priority.

Keywords
Marine forests, marine protected areas, herbivorous fishes, conservation, restoration, seaweeds, macroalgae, Mediterranean Sea, artificial structures, herbivory, monitoring, management, temperate seas

The ECOMERS laboratory (FRE 3729 UNS-CNRS) University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNS) held from June 14 to 16 a conference on marine protected areas (MPAs). Approximately 40 scientists, managers, financial officers and distinguished guests participated with the main objective to improve the effectiveness of MPAs in the Mediterranean and to sensitize to policy makers and the general public of the importance of these areas. HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco was the guest of honor on Thursday June 16th, and spoke on the support provided by the Foundation Albert II of Monaco to the protection of the oceans and seas.

In the framework of a research project funded by the Total Foundation (see 'Research' section), an exploration of a spectacular submerged marine cave has been conducted on 5th May, 2016. This cave, called 'La Cattedrale', is located at Marettimo Island, in Sicily (Italy), within the buffer zone of the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area. Two scientists of the Ecomers Lab (P. Guidetti, A. Di Franco), accompanied by F. Tedone (Marettimo Diving Center), have explored this magnificient cave (see picture here below) to get data on the fish fauna living inside.

The entrance is located at about 30 m depth. The cave is formed by a tunnel approx. 50 m long, followed by a large chamber about 50 m long and 70 m wide, ending at about 100 m distance from the entrance. Inside some typical cave fishes have been recorded, like Grammonus ater and Thorogobius ephippiatus, along with the most abundant fish in Mediterranean marine caves, Apogon imberbis, which is the main subject of this research.

Picture taken inside the submerged marine cave 'La Cattedrale', Marettimo Island, Sicily (Italy). Photo: Sergio Riccardo.

An interview article has been recently published (April 17th, 2015) on the newspaper Nice Matin making the point about the state of artisanal fishing in the region 'Cote d'Azur'. Given the links with tradition and culture in the Mediterranean region, and considering the potential of artisanal methods in terms of sustainability, the article clearly support the idea to save this kind of fishing rather than keep supporting un-sustainable (ecologically and aconomically) industrial, large-scale fisheries.

 To read the article (in French) click here http://www.nicematin.com/derniere-minute/il-faut-sauver-les-artisans-pecheurs-azureens.2180205.html

The scientific work carried out by ECOMERS lab researchers (University Nice-Sophia Antipolis) have been reported on August 12th, 2014 at 20h00 on TF1.

Scandola (Corsica) is one of the most beautiful natural marine reserves in the world, classified as 'heritage UNESCO' site. This marine sanctuary hosts an exceptional biodiversity, which has been investigated by researchers of UNS in the last 20 years.

To know more

Summer school in Batroun, Lebanon (June 2-4, 2014)
written by Anna Fricke

The first summer school of the ENPI-CBCMED M3HABs (Risk Monitoring, Modelling and Mitigation of Benthic Harmful Algal Blooms) project took place in Batroun, Lebanon, 2-4^th June 2014. The project has started in January 2014 and will help to increase awareness and implement measures to manage benthic harmful algal blooms in the Mediterranean basin through the development of common monitoring procedures, automated counting methods and modelling predictive tools.

During the three-day workshop, held at the National Center for Marine Sciences (CNRS) and in the facilities of the San Stephano Resort, international participants of the various partners (e.g. France, Italy, Lebanon, Monaco, Montenegro, Tunisia), together with master and PhD students, came together for lectures, scientific exchange and further planning for the upcoming activities of the project.

(Fotos: Valentina Giussani; Flavio Oliva; Wildlife photoreporter & cinematographer; Sally Sassine)

The main aim of the workshop was the training of students and the intercalibration of methods among participants in order to facilitate and optimise the first sampling season.

In a vibrant and motivated atmosphere the common sampling and samples analyses techniques were demonstrated and students had the occasion of train both in the field and in the laboratory.

Beyond the excellent mediation of the required scientific knowledge on Ostreopsis ecology and taxonomy, the workshop promoted further intercultural exchange and allowed a unique insight in the culture and environment of the host country.

Overall the summer school provided the ideal base for scientific exchange and opened the doors for a further fruitful cooperation along the Mediterranean coasts.

Discover the film on sustainable fishing in the Mediterranean supported by the laboratory ECOMERS.

This film was made thanks to the initiative of the regional federation France Nature Environment (FNE) and with the scientific support of ECOMERS lab. It aims at explaining the way artisanal fishing works and, based on the scientific work of the lab, at showing the importance of this fishing practices in the context of sustainable management of the coastal zone.

For more than 40 years, FNE PACA coordinate (through its departmental federations) the Associations for Protection of Nature and Environment in the Provence 'Alpes Côte d'Azur' to implement sustainable development in the territories.
Current policies at national or European level are biased tomainly address to industrial fisheries (mainly offshore) and often do not take into account artisanal fisheries. However, the latter is a fishery that, for centuries, practiced sustainable fishing, long before this term have been brought up to date.

ECOMERS scientists work since long on the subject of artisanal fishing and helped demonstrate, through their scientific papers published in international journals, the importance of these practices for the sustainable management of the coastal zone. Through this film, ECOMERS communicates the studies carried on this activity. Considering the reduced number of laboratories working in the French Mediterranean on the ecology of coastal areas, ECOMERS is the main laboratory to do research on this topic.

This project has the support of a number of managers of marine protected areas (Frédéric Bachet, Marine Park of the Blue Coast, which is involved in the film), artisanal fishermen associations (in France called 'prud'homies' ; Elisabeth Tempier Prud'homie Sanary, in the film) and, in general, a number of individual artisanal fishermen.

Voir le film

The family Tetraodontidae includes highly toxic species such as the famous Japanese fugu. Several species live in the Mediterranean. Some came through the Suez Canal and are present throughout the eastern basin of the Mediterranean, such as Lagocephalus sceleratus. Other species have an uncertain origin: native of the Mediterranean, or entered from the Atlantic or Red Sea? This is the case of Sphoeroides pachygaster.

(by P. Francour)

This species was not known the French Mediterranean coast yet. On May 9th, 2014, this fish was caught at Vauban harbour, Antibes. It was determined by Patrice Francour and is currently preserved at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.
You will find in the Nice Matin article details about the capture. This is an example of how citiziens may help scientists in recording new species.

Job offer – Compilation and collaboration to analysis of underwater visual census and small scale fisheries landings data

In the framework of the FishMPAblue2 European project, the ECOMERS laboratory (FRE3927, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis & CNRS) open a job offer for Compilation and analysis of underwater visual census and small scale fisheries landings data.

Overview:

The University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNS) is an interdisciplinary university receiving every year more than 25,000 students. It comprises approximately 1600 academics and 1100 administrative staff. The institutional scopes of the UNS are research and education. UNS encompasses 44 research laboratories and is ranked in the top 3% universities worldwide (Shangai academic ranking).

The lab ECOMERS is specialized in fundamental and applied marine ecology. Most of the research work is carried out in the Mediterranean Sea and addresses both theoretical (ecosystem functioning, biology and ecology of species and communities; bioecological changes under the influence of climate change) and applied issues (ecosystem-wide conservation and assessment; marine protected areas; management of human activities in coastal areas; sustainable small scale fishing; ecotoxicological bio-surveillance).

Context of the project:

FishMPABlue2 project is the follow-up of the FishMPABlue project funded by Interreg MED Programme 2007-2013 (from now on: FishMPABlue 1).

FishMPABlue 1 carried out an analysis (based on literature review and questionnaires answer by MPA’s managers) on the management of small scale fishery (SSF) within and around a set of Mediterranean MPAs, and developed the so called “regional-based governance toolkit” of potential measures for SSF governance in and around MPAs (i.e. composed by multiple key-elements, also called “tools”, see FishMPABlue 1 outputs) enabling MPAs to reach successful management of SSF. More specifically FishMPABlue 1 highlighted that fish stocks are healthier, fishermen incomes are higher and the social acceptance of management practices is promoted (so overall a successful management of SSF is reached) if a set of elements is present in a MPA (e.g. high MPA enforcement, presence of a management plan, high fishermen engagement in MPA management, fishermen representative in the MPA board, and promotion of sustainable fishing).

The aims of FishMPABlue 2 projects are:

- to test the governance toolkit (i.e. by implementing these elements or increasing their level) through multiple Pilot Actions in selected MPAs

- to assess and quantify its effectiveness in achieving expected results in terms of MPA ecological effectiveness, benefits delivered to SSF and social acceptance of management measures by stakeholders.

Position summary:

Working closely with the project and laboratory team members, the role of the recruited person will involve (but it will be not limited to) the following:

- compilation of underwater visual census data from multiple Mediterranean marine protected areas

- compilation of small scale fisheries landing data from 11 Mediterranean MPAs and surrounding unprotected areas

- collaboration in analysis of both previous dataset

- collaboration in writing reports and scientific papers

Qualifications and experience required:

Master in marine ecology or related fields.

Previous experience working in marine conservation and compilation of ecological datasets.

Duration of the contract and remuneration:

The contract will run for a duration of 6 months. The remuneration will be in according to University salary indexes

How to apply:

A Curriculum Vitae and letter of application, summarizing experience and skill set applicable to the position should be emailed to paolo.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . All correspondence for this position should quote reference FishMPABlue2_Data-analysis/Sep 2018.

Closing date for applications:

All applications for this position should be received in advance of 5pm on 28th September 2018. Please note that late applications will not be accepted. Selected candidate will be hopefully notified on 26th September 2018.