[LUM#17] A wave of technology to protect the big blue

[LUM Magazine] - Published on December 1, 2022 in Science-Society

Faced with an overexploited Mediterranean Sea, scientists are seeking to reduce the impact of human activities on marine environments. Among the technological solutions are the Donia mobile app, which encourages boaters to protect seagrass beds, and the Overboat, an electric jet ski.

Oceanographers and marine biologists are stepping up to the plate. Frustrated by studying environments while witnessing their destruction, they are combining their ecological knowledge with the technological winds of change sweeping through science to devise solutions and develop consumer products. The Donia navigation app, for example, is designed to enable boaters to protect sensitive marine ecosystems. "The idea for this app came from our work on protecting Posidonia, a protected species that continues to disappear due to boat anchoring," says Julie Deter, a lecturer and researcher at the Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation Laboratory (Marbec*) and project manager at Andromède Océanologie, a marine ecology consulting firm.

Between 2011 and 2018, a quarter of the Posidonia seagrass beds disappeared due to anchoring in Golfe-Juan Bay, despite the ban on destroying this protected marine habitat. "The ban is ineffective because law enforcement only applies if the destruction is deliberate. However, it is impossible to determine whether a boater knowingly dropped anchor in a seagrass bed, " laments Julie Deter. By offering simplified mapping of marine habitats down to a depth of 50 meters, Donia raises awareness among sailors while providing them with information on marine regulations. These maps are based on detailed, continuous mapping of Mediterranean coastal marine habitats between 0 and 80 meters, published in 2014.

Oceanography in your smartphone

Launched in 2013 by Andromède, the app won the Entreprises & Environnement award. It now has 33,000 active users. To attract those who are less environmentally conscious, several features have been added: practical information for easy mooring, weather forecasts, nautical charts, and points of interest such as diving sites and underwater trails. "Another selling point is that it's a community app that allows users to share great anchorages, diving spots, marine wildlife sightings, and floating hazards, " says Julie Deter, who sees Donia as "a Waze for the sea."

But for ecologists, the challenge is also to better control anchorage. Mission accomplished for boats over 24 meters, which must be equipped with a beacon that allows them to be identified and located. "Our team worked with the Rhône Méditerranée-Corse Water Agency, the Maritime Prefecture, and customs to change the regulations. A strict ban on anchoring in seagrass beds is now in place for boats over 24 meters, " says the researcher. For other boats, which do not have beacons, it is still difficult to tighten controls, even though they account for 95% of the boats anchoring along the coast. To better assess their ecological impact on seagrass beds, research has just been launched atIntosea, the joint laboratory bringing together the University of Montpellier and Andromède Océanologie.

Always faced with the imperative to mitigate the impact of human activities, oceanographer Vincent Dufour came up with the idea for the Overboat in 2016, a small electric boat that was launched in 2019. Resembling a jet ski of the future, this single- or two-seater craft is powered by electric batteries and moves using a foil. Vincent Dufour defends his creation: "Not only is it a new way of traveling on water, but above all, you don't need to be an expert because the boat's intelligence will manage everything for you. " The boat is equipped with a range of technologies: "Computers constantly process information on the boat's position to ensure its balance, " explains Frédérique Bos, Neocean's sales director. The company was created specifically by Vincent Dufour to develop the Overboat.

Carbon footprint

In terms of marine ecology, the boat boasts a silent electric motor and a low wake, which reduces erosion damage to the banks. But above all, the Overboat's foil reduces friction, significantly lowering the energy required for propulsion: "The foil cuts energy consumption by a factor of four, " points out Frédérique Bos. To prove this reduced ecological footprint, Neocean set out to compare CO2 emissions with a jet ski, taking into account construction and three years of use: although the Overboat performs less well in terms of construction due to its batteries, after three years its carbon footprint is 2,600 kg of CO2 equivalent compared to 38,000 kg of CO2 equivalent for the jet ski.
But why go electric when sailing is the most environmentally friendly means of transport? "They're not used for the same purposes! The Overboat is of interest to port and marine park operators, for example, who need to navigate between boats and dock easily. It is also popular with water sports centers, where noise pollution and pollution are becoming a concern and which are looking for less impactful leisure activities, " explains Frédérique Bos. The Overboat has already won over around 30 customers in France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. However, you should expect to pay around €30,000 for one.

*Marbec (UM, IRD, CNRS, Ifremer)

Keywords: Environment, Innovation, LUM#17, LUM Magazine, Research, Technology