Science at UM [S02-ep10]: From Coastal Aquifers to Polymers

[Podcast] - Published on December 8, 2022 in Science and Society

This week on *A l’UM la science*, Linda Luquot, a researcher at Géosciences Montpellier and a laureate of the French Academy of Sciences, talks to us about coastal aquifers. In the second half of the program, Vincent Darcos tells you all about the polymer tray on the Synbio 3 platform. Finally, Sorenza Seghers invites you to visit the exhibition *Spotlight on Biodiversity*. A program co-produced and broadcast by Divergence FM 93.9.

Did you know that the water contained in rivers, streams, and lakes accounts for barely 1% of the Earth’s total liquid freshwater supply? Did you know that in France, about 75% of the water we consume comes from groundwater? While water crises have never seemed so close to home—we even got a taste of the early signs this summer—these vast freshwater reservoirs represent a strategic resource that we urgently need to focus on to ensure their sustainable use. But first, where are these aquifers located? Just about everywhere, since the Earth’s crust is composed of about 20 to 25% water. Everywhere, including along the coast, where these coastal aquifers can be the site of interactions between freshwater and seawater.

We’re discussing this with our guest today, Linda Luquot, a researcher at Géosciences Montpellier. Her work was recognized last October with the Michel Gouilloud Schlumberger Prize from the French Academy of Sciences (watch the ceremony here). Today we’re drawing on one of her publications in the Journal of Hydrology titled: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Characterizing Coastal Alluvial Aquifers to Improve Understanding of Seawater Intrusion and Submarine Groundwater Discharge (April 2022).

Following our tour of the peptide lab, our report continues at the Synbio 3 platform in the Balard Chemistry Cluster and takes us today to the lab dedicated to polymers. Vincent Darcos is our guide, and he tells us about pearl necklaces and spaghetti.

Finally, our last-minute guest will be Sorenza Seghers, a master’s student in science communication at Mediacces. She invites you to the Departmental Environmental Center at the Domaine de Restinclières for the exhibition Spotlight on Biodiversity , on view through December 30.

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

Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Lucie Lecherbonnier / Aline Périault
Reporting and editing: Aline Périault
Director: Tom Chevalier

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