Science at UM [S01-ep01]: From Tanzania to the Fabre Museum

[Podcast] - Published on October 15, 2021 in Science and Society

On the agenda for this season’s first episode: the socioeconomic benefits of marine protected areas, featuring Alicia Dalongeville from the MARBEC Marine Biology Laboratory and Antoine Leblois from the Montpellier Center for Environmental Economics. In the second half of the episode, Delphine Jullien from the Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering takes us to the Fabre Museum.

In this first issue of *A l’UM la science*, we’re shining a spotlight on Africa. On October 8, Montpellier hosted the Africa-France Summit. This provided the University with an opportunity to organize four days of scientific meetings and discussions focused on research and innovation on the continent. We’re continuing this international event today by taking you to Tanzania.

The Socioeconomic Benefits of Marine Protected Areas

Beyond Zanzibar’s idyllic beaches, the grand safaris of the Serengeti, the snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro, and the shores of Lake Victoria, Tanzania is one of the poorest countries on the continent, with nearly a third of its population living below the official poverty line. In this context, fishing appears, even more so than elsewhere, as an essential resource for the inhabitants. So can we reconcile the vital needs of the people with the conservation of marine environments, which are as fragile here as elsewhere due to climate change and human pressure? That is what our guests want to know. To find out, they went into the field to assess the potential socio-economic benefits of establishing marine protected areas in Tanzania. Now back from their mission, they share their initial observations with us.

Joining us in the studio are Alicia Dalongeville and Antoine Leblois. She is a research engineer in marine biology at the MARBEC laboratory and a professional diver. He is an economist at CEE-M, the Montpellier Center for Environmental Economics, and a specialist in water resource management and climate change adaptation.

LUM Special Edition: " Africa"

This quarter, LUM magazine is also bringing you a special issue dedicated to “Africas.” Track elephants on their mysterious migrations, and keep an eye on beaches that are disappearing before our very eyes. Follow the researchers working every day to better understand issues related to water and food resources, to anticipate and adapt to changes—both climatic and demographic. Also meet those who fight daily against major health threats such as the Ebola virus or sleeping sickness… Findthe digital versionon the University of Montpellier website.

The Fabre Museum's Climate Display

In the second part of the program, we take you to the Fabre Museum, specifically to the Flemish Gallery, where Delphine Jullien, a researcher at the Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering (LMGC), and Marina Bousvarou, the museum’s restoration project manager, introduce us to*The Holy Trinity Crowning the Virgin*. A^15th-century work executed on four oak panels:“The movement of the wood caused by fluctuations in ambient humidity is prevented by a grid of cross-pieces on the back of the panels, which leads to the appearance of cracks that damage the paint layer,” explains the researcher. To better understand the movement of the wood and thus better preserve this work, the LMGC team has designed a very special display case that we’re showing you today.

Part of the exhibition “The Secrets of Artworks,” featuring “The Holy Trinity Crowning the Virgin” on the left. This anonymous Flemish or Spanish panel painting from the 16th century is housed in a climate-controlled chamber at the Fabre Museum in Montpellier. The exhibition (March to September 2018) highlights art restoration practices, with a particular focus on public engagement. This unique experimental setup allows visitors to observe in situ the warping of the wooden panel during a controlled change in humidity. The artwork is placed on a scale that measures changes in mass. The various stages of the study are detailed on the walls. This study, which began in 2016, will ultimately help define a conservation solution to ensure the artwork’s long-term preservation. UMR5508 Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering

At UM Science, you’ve got the program—let’s get started!

Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Aline Périault / Lucie Lecherbonnier
Reporting: Aline Périault
Editing: Bruno Bertrand
Directed by: Bruno Bertrand and Anna Demeulandre

Tune in to the show “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9