Decline of the Clam: The University of Montpellier, Ifremer, and Two Artists Launch the CLAM-EU Project to Engage Lagoon Communities Through Art and Science
The University of Montpellier, Ifremer, painter Françoise Dagorn, and pianist Stéphanie Elbaz are launching the CLAM-EU project (“From ecological collapse to collective renewal: a participatory art–science demonstrator for a resilient blue economy in Europe’s lagoons”), a participatory art–science demonstrator addressing the decline of the European clam (Ruditapes decussatus) in the Thau Lagoon and its socioeconomic consequences for small-scale fisheries.
The project is being carried out in partnership with artists Françoise Dagorn (painting) and Stéphanie Elbaz (piano), as well as Franck Lagarde, a researcher at Ifremer, and Bastien Mérigot, an associate professor at the University of Montpellier. It closely involves fishermen, citizens, students, and local stakeholders, including the Lycée de la Mer in Sète, the Syndicat Mixte du Bassin de Thau, and the Prud’homie de l’Étang de Thau.
With a duration of six months (July through December 2026), CLAM-EU is receiving €50,000 in funding under the European Horizon Europe – Mission Ocean program, through the PartArt4OW (Participatory Art for Society Engagement with Ocean and Water) call for proposals. The University of Montpellier is the lead institution for the project.
CLAM-EU: A Participatory Approach to Addressing the Decline of the European Clam
Long considered the “gray gold” of Mediterranean fisheries, the European clam is experiencing a sharp decline in the Thau Lagoon. This trend is undermining a historic resource for fishermen and the identity of coastal communities. This phenomenon has been observed in thirteen of the seventeen coastal and lagoon systems studied across Europe.
In light of this, CLAM-EU combines scientific research and artistic creation to better understand these developments, foster dialogue among stakeholders, and encourage collective action toward a more resilient blue economy.
A project that combines scientific experimentation and artistic creation
The scientific component of the project will study the potential of the Careshell process—a substrate made of crushed oyster shells packed into nylon nets, which has already been successfully tested in Japan—to promote the abundance, growth, survival, and recruitment of the European clam in the Thau Lagoon.
This participatory experiment, conducted at the Lycée de la Mer in Sète with fishermen, students, and local stakeholders, will be coordinated by Franck Lagarde (Ifremer), while Bastien Mérigot (University of Montpellier) will handle the statistical analyses and interpretation of the results.
At the same time, pianist Stéphanie Elbaz will lead workshops where participants will make percussion instruments out of clam shells and explore music through their hands, feet, voices, breath, and movement. A group performance will combine these instruments with a prepared piano. Painter Françoise Dagorn will lead workshops inspired by the CareShell project, nautical charts, scientific articles, and clam shells. Through deconstruction and reconstruction, participants will create collective works that express their sensory perception of the region, at the intersection of art and science.
Exhibitions Open to the Public
The project will feature a scientific conference, a concert, and an exhibition at the Pôle Universitaire Michèle Weil in Sète on December 3, 2026, followed by a temporary exhibition running through December 11, before a presentation at the PartArt4OW Demo Days in Barcelona.
Beyond these presentations, CLAM-EU aims to develop an art-science methodology that can be applied to other European marine ecosystems. By bringing together scientists, artists, fishermen, students, and citizens around a single region, the project illustrates how research, citizen participation, and artistic creation can collectively contribute to the preservation of coastal ecosystems.
Practical Information
Date: July through December 2026
