[LUM#9] Maupiti, a model lagoon
Understanding the dynamics of lagoons and reefs is the goal of researchers from the Montpellier Geosciences Laboratory, who have set out to install sensors and probes on the island of Maupiti in French Polynesia.
Welcome to Maupiti, a small paradise island covering just 11 km² located a stone's throw from Bora Bora in French Polynesia. Far from mass tourism, it is a dream destination for those seeking peace and quiet... and for coastal scientists and geophysicists from the Montpellier Geosciences Laboratory and GLADYS. "With its enclosed lagoon where water can only escape through a single pass, Maupiti is an ideal model for studying lagoon dynamics," explains Frédéric Bouchette. "In particular, we can characterize how waves pass over the coral reef and how wave energy is transformed into current, water level, and transport."
To understand the dynamics of the lagoon and reef, researchers conducted two missions to Maupiti in May and June to August 2018. Pressure, current, temperature, wind, water height, waves, topography—the island was dotted with sensors and probes that allowed researchers to study the system in detail. The mission also provided an opportunity for new methodological developments: "We wanted to see if a seismometer could hear the sound of waves on the beach itself, " explains the researcher. "The island is the ideal size: it is small and sparsely populated, so seismic noise is not greatly disturbed by human presence," emphasizes Erik Doerflinger, "but it still has the necessary infrastructure to support the logistics of the missions."
Find UM podcasts now available on your favorite platform (Spotify, Deezer, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, etc.).