Discovering the oceans with Ifremer

National research partnerships

Partnerships have been implemented in the framework of varying types of projects: conducting cruises, taking part in Ifremer programmes and national programmes. Ifremer cooperates with CNRS, IRD, INRA and universities through eight joint units, two of which were renewed in 2005. The CNRS-Ifremer research centre for marine ecology and aquaculture (CREMA) opened up to a new partner: the University of La Rochelle. The “genome-populations-interactions-adaptations” joint research unit or UMR (CNRS-Ifremer-University of Montpellier II) has refocused on lagoon ecosystems.

The tool for cooperation that Ifremer uses most remains research groupings (GDR). There are fifteen of them, gathering different teams from institutions for a four-year, specific research project. Three GDRs are currently in the approval process. They will study: the biomineralization of fish otoliths, pearl formation and energy models.

In 2005, the ANR (national research agency) was created. Ifremer mobilised its forces by taking part in scientific committees and steering committees and responding to forty projects, sixteen of which have been selected and financed.
 

fremer continued to work closely with the organisations in the MIRES [interministry mission for research and higher education (BRGM, Cemagref, Cirad, INRA, IRD)] “manage-ment of environments and resources” programme. This involves regular meetings with the organisations’ general directors and bilateral cooperation agreements in order to bring programmes closer and make them complementary. In summer 2005, Ifremer chaired the B2C3I inter-organisation (BRGM, Cemagref, Cirad, Ifremer, INRA and IRD) committee for research in the French DOM-TOM overseas departments and territories. Details for a joint publishing house are being discussed.

Collaboration with these other organisations, and especially INSU, took form thanks to co-funding from national programmes like PNEC-Liteau, ECCO, as well as Marges, Momar, Patom and PNEDC. Research studies on biodiversity are coordinated between the organisations and with the relevant ministries in the framework of the French institute of biodiversity (IFB), for which an agent was made available in 2005.

In the framework of the oceanography committee (CDO), partners in the public interest grouping Mercator and in operational oceanography coordinate and share research operations (CNES, Météo-France, SHOM, CNRS, IRD).

Cooperation with other organisations which manage the fleet has been strengthened in the framework of the national fleet commission, which IPEV, Ifremer, INSU, IRD and SHOM are members of. In addition, Ifremer created a working group to draw up the development plan for the offshore and inshore ocean research fleet.

More specific cooperation has been activated with IFP for geology and to support oil exploration, with Ineris on coastal environmental hazards, the national Museum of natural history on biodiversity and the Cetmef (maritime and river studies centre) on coastal geomorphology and integrated coastal zone management.

Ifremer maintains close partnership relations with eighteen universities and the Ensar in Rennes, in the form of agreements, IFR research clusters, GDR research groupings or joint units. It takes part in various courses of higher education dealing with the sea. In 2005, Ifremer research scientists supervised eight theses.

European partnerships

For European actions, the year 2005 can be considered as a turning point.

On the EC level, the renewal of the Commission, with new commissioners appointed in late 2004 taking office, the opening of negotiations on the financial outlook for the period 2006-20 13, the implementation of the “Maritime policy green paper”, drafting working programmes for the FP7 for technological R&D, all provided the general and line management with both subjects to rally round and a medium for contacts with national and European authorities.

For the sixth framework programme, as the calls for tender launched came up to cruising speed, operational teams had many opportunities to set up projects for which assistance from Europe solicited.

The fisheries policy, implementation of structural funds and the environmental directives also led to concerted interventions.

In terms of bilateral cooperation, during the year the policy to renew and consolidate multinational agreements or special contracts was clearly rein forced.

Implementing a European strategy

To comply with the Lisbon agenda, Europe must develop and maintain world-class scientific and technical clusters of excellence. The marine field is acknowledged to be particularly relevant in building the European research area. Ifremer substantially contributes to this arrangement, working with partners like the ESF (European Science Foundation) Marine Board’s networks in environmental and infrastructural fields, the Efaro (European Fisheries and Aquaculture Organisations) association in the field of living resources, and EuroGoos for operational oceanography.

In this context, Ifremer successively interceded with the European Parliament [in collaboration with the German KDM (Konsortium Deutsche Meeresforschung) consortium and the British NOC (National Oceanographic Centre)], the European parliament’s “Fisheries” commission, and the “Fisheries and Maritime affairs” DG task force, in charge of drafting the Green Paper for a European maritime policy to promote the priorities and needs of marine sciences. It also interceded with the European Commission to implement a Science and Technologies line in the marine field in the FP7 RDT (2007-2013).

Institutional cooperation with Germany was given major impetus during the Franco-German summit in Potsdam (July 2005) in which the French minister of Research and the chief executive officer of Ifremer took part.

Bilateral scientific and technological cooperation

Partnership agreements prepare the ground for the setting up of networks. They are also effective in creating consortia in the framework of European projects. In 2005, Ifremer, in association with INSU, signed this sort of agreement with seven Italian partners (CNR, ENEA, Icram, OGS, INGV, Conisma and Anton Dohrn). Cooperation agreements were also signed with RIVO and Fiskeriforskning (Netherlands and Norway) for living resources, with KDM (marine research consortium made up of the main players in German oceanography) for geochemistry, geophysics and geology and with GeoEcomar (Romania) for environmental studies in the Black Sea.

Additionally, in accordance with its four-year contract for 2005-2008, Ifremer has entered into formal negotiations with AWI (Germany) to renew the cooperation agreement set up five years ago, extend it to new themes and study the creation of a joint department for submarine technologies. Steps have also begun to sign an initial agreement for ambitious cooperation with IMR (Norway) in 2006.

Collaborative research activities

FP6 RDT

In terms of opening national level projects supported by the FP6 RDT’s ERA-NET tool, Ifremer holds a significant place in Marifish (fisheries programmes) and Ecord (deep ocean environments) and coordinates the Marinera (research and marine facilities) programme.

Twenty-three collaborative projects were signed in 2005, three of which are coordinated by Ifremer. Ifremer was thus chosen to organise a European facility to manage marine data. A project for genetic selection in seabass (Competus), implemented with the help of a consortium of private firms and a project for transnational access (Metri), designed to make Ifremer’s test facilities (particularly test tanks) available to European researchers are also coordinated by Ifremer.

Furthermore, in the FP6’s last call for proposals, Ifremer coordinated the tenders for an integrated project (Spicosa) on integrated coastal zone management and for a network of excellence (Esonet) for seafloor observatories.

On the latter point, Ifremer brought the European multidisciplinary seafloor observatory (EMSO) project before the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) in the perspective of FP7 RDT.

Clora/Brussels

Ifremer’s representation at the Clora in Brussels grew with another delegate who is responsible for relations with the Commission’s services and making Ifremer’s activities better known.

Ifremer and international cooperation

Ifremer is in contact with partner organisations in most developed countries, working on joint projects and exchanging researchers and data. Ifremer also runs various joint oceanographic research committees with partner countries. Cooperation projects are analysed in turn for each country, depending on their geo-thematic scope and the scientific strategy guidelines of Ifremer and its French partners. The main countries involved are Japan, the United States, China, Canada, Australia and Taiwan.

Ifremer is also solicited by developing countries worldwide to take part in research, transfer, aid and training actions. These requests are studied on a case by case basis, with priority given to some areas like the southern and eastern Mediterranean sea fronts. In-house discussions were launched in this context in 2005, in order to de fine the main orientations of Ifremer’s strategy in the Mediterranean, and will continue in 2006.
 

Russia

In the framework of a cooperation agreement signed by Ifremer with the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Industry, Science and Technologies (MIST), the tenth Franco-Russian joint oceanology committee met in Issy-les-Moulineaux in November 2005.

Marine geoscience cooperation continued on the Mid Atlantic ridge with the Vernadsky Institute. Oceanic data exchanges with the Rihmi/WDC in Obninsk led to the joint submission of a vast European SeaDataNet project slated to begin in 2006. In fisheries economics, cooperation with Giprorybflot is continuing in order to draw up economic indicators based on the European Union model. Two new projects (aquaculture and hydrodynamics/oceanography) have received support from the French ministry of Foreign Affairs’ EcoNet programme.
 

Tunisia

The INSTM national marine science and technology institute is Ifremer’s main scientific partner in Tunisia. Cooperation with this organisation resumed in 2005, supported by the French Embassy’s scientific service in Tunisia. Ifremer will take part in projects concerning farmed marine finfish diversification and shellfish farming, particularly in ensuring the health safety of Tunisian shellfish farm yields.
 

Marocco

The framework agreement for cooperation between Ifremer and the INRH national fisheries research institute of Morocco was renewed for a five year period in 2004. The joint committee, which assesses actions underway and pinpoints new topics for cooperation, met in November 2005. It consolidated the cooperation themes already in effect (environment, coastal health monitoring network, aquaculture) and spoke about other perspectives, such as designing a new ocean research vessel for Morocco, the issue of the legal extension of the continental shelf with the national office of hydrocarbons and mining (Onhym) and future Moroccan fishery stock assessment cruises.
 

China

The fifth joint committee of the Ifremer-SOA (State Oceanic Administration) agreement met in Qingdao. The Chinese representatives reasserted their will to pursue and develop cooperation with Ifremer (the agreement between Ifremer and the State Oceanic Administration is currently being renewed). Several groups of Chinese experts (Comra, NSFC, etc.) came to visit Ifremer and indicated their strong interest in working with the Institute.
 

Korea

A cooperation project for the coastal environment, between Ifremer and the Kordi came into being in 2005. This project focuses on monitoring the marine environment and contaminant studies and received funding from the integrated action programme for Korea (STAR).
 

Japan

The 21st joint Franco-Japanese sub-committee meeting was held in Tokyo in January 2006. It confirmed that French and Japanese cooperation is working well, with a dozen projects currently underway. Ifremer and its main Japanese partner Jamstec work together in numerous fields, the most important of which are underwater technology, geosciences and oceanography. Aquaculture will be added to that list, with new cooperation projects in shellfish farming and marine finfish farming.
 

Taïwan

Canada

Quebec
In addition, particularly close relationships maintained with the Quebec ministry of agriculture, fisheries and foodstuffs (Mapaq) led to support for actions in the high added value marine biomolecule sector with the University of Laval and in coastal environment contamination with the national scientific research institute (INRS).
 

United States

The trip was also the opportunity to renew relations with the Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and create some with the School of Marine Sciences of the University of Maine and the Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB) of the University of Maryland, which also opens new perspectives for working together.
 

Argentina - Uruguay

Work begun in 2001 with the Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP) in Argentina went on. It deals with improving the selectivity of fishing gear.
 

Brazil

Australia

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Csiro) are already Ifremer’s partners in several fields and signed a cooperation agreement designed to facilitate collaboration between the three institutions, especially as regards exchanges of scientists and hosting doctoral and post-doctoral fellows.
 

New-Zealand

Madagascar

Seychelles