By Gloria Bevilacqua
Last September, Master’s students from the Ecosystems and Marine Bioproduction and Aquaculture, Environment, Society programmes had a hands-on experience in seagrass research, joining scientists from Nantes University and NIOZ for fieldwork in Bourgneuf Bay. This activity formed part of the REWRITE Loire Demonstrator, a project dedicated to exploring nature-based solutions for coastal restoration.
Mapping seagrass and bivalve communities
The team focused on two contrasting sites within the bay:
- A stable seagrass meadow, identified using 40 years of remote sensing data
- A sporadically colonised site, where seagrass growth is inconsistent
The goal was to map seagrass carbon storage potential and assess associated bivalve populations, an essential component of coastal ecosystem health. Back at the university, the students rolled up their sleeves to sort seagrass leaves from rhizomes and analyse their samples.
Early findings and big questions
Preliminary results are already revealing interesting patterns: the stable meadow hosts greater diversity and abundance of bivalves compared to the more recently colonised site. This raises a key question for rewilding efforts:
How long would a rewilded site take to develop the same ecological functionality as a stable meadow?
The answer will help guide strategies for restoring coastal habitats and enhancing their role in carbon storage and biodiversity support.
A hands-on learning experience
The fieldwork provided students with an invaluable opportunity to learn scientific methods in situ, from mapping and sampling to lab analysis. It also brought them closer to the real-world challenges and rewards of ecological restoration.
Special thanks to Jim de Fouw, Hélène Merop, Laurent Barillé, Pierre Gernez, Simon Oiry, Bede Davis, Marta Romàn, Laura Zoffoli, Philippe Rosa, and Benjamin Cheng Fa for supervising and supporting the students during this field campaign.