What Will the Mediterranean Be Like Tomorrow? Perspectives from Scientists

Lectures as part of the Festival Stops 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 series of lectures for everyone presented by the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) and theIRD (Research Institute for Development) in partnership with theIFREMER (French Institute Research Marine Research), and the Universities of Montpellier, Perpignan, and Paris VI.

Lecture: “Coastal Ocean Circulation: From the Regional to the Coastal Scale. The Case of the Gulf of Lion.”

By Yann Lerrede, Associate Professor, 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 coasts of Liguria, Provence, and Catalonia, accounts for the majority of the general surface circulation. Occasionally, branches of this current intrude into the continental shelf of the Gulf of Lion. At this scale, currents driven by winds and the dilution of river flows—particularly from the Rhône—predominate. In winter, large convective cells supply denser water to the deep waters of the Mediterranean. Finally, closer to the coast, wave-induced currents—particularly the coastal drift—dominate.

Lecture: “Life and Death of the Sandy Coasts of Languedoc-Roussillon.”

By Frédéric Bouchette, Associate Professor, University of Montpellier – Geosciences Laboratory
Where do the 250 km of sandy coastlines in Languedoc-Roussillon come from? Why are they there? How long have they been there? How were they formed? What are the major stages of their evolution? What are the key mechanisms that governed their formation? All these questions will be addressed using several examples and illustrated with a wide range of data, including geophysical imagery, airborne imagery, sedimentary geology, numerical modeling, and underwater and field observations. The presentation will also aim to show that a coastline has a life of its own that goes far beyond human control.
View the program for all conferences