What will the Mediterranean be like tomorrow? Perspectives from scientists

Conferences as part of the Festival Stopovers in Sète
Tuesday, March 27 and Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Two days of conferences dedicated to the environment and biodiversity of the Gulf of Lion.
A program of conferences for everyone offered by the National Center for Scientific Research (National Center for Scientific Research) and theIRD (Research Institute for Development) in partnership with theIFREMER (French Research Institute Research Exploitation of the Sea), and the Universities of Montpellier, Perpignan, and Paris VI.

Conference: “Coastal ocean circulation, from regional to coastal scale. The example of the Gulf of Lion.”

By Yann Lerrede, Senior Lecturer, University of Montpellier – Geosciences Laboratory
Ocean currents vary in nature depending on the scale at which they are studied. The North Mediterranean Current, which runs from east to west along the Ligurian, Provençal, and Catalan coasts, accounts for most of the general surface circulation. Some intrusions of this current sporadically invade the continental shelf of the Gulf of Lion. At this scale, it is the currents induced by winds and the dilution of rivers, particularly the Rhône, that dominate. In winter, large convection cells feed denser water into the deep waters of the Mediterranean. Finally, closer to the coast, currents induced by waves, particularly longshore drift, dominate.

Conference: “Life and death of the sandy coastlines of Languedoc-Roussillon.”

By Frédéric Bouchette, Senior Lecturer, University of Montpellier – Geosciences Laboratory
Where do the 250 km of sandy coastline in Languedoc-Roussillon come from? Why are they there? How long have they been there? How were they formed? What are the main stages in their evolution? What are the main mechanisms that controlled their formation? All these questions will be addressed using a few examples and illustrated with a wide range of data, including geophysical imaging, airborne imaging, sedimentary geology, digital modeling, underwater observation, and fieldwork. The presentation will also seek to show that a coastline has a life of its own that goes far beyond human control.
See the program for all conferences