Mouncef SEDRATI, Université Bretagne Sud / Geo-Ocean UMR CNRS 6538, France
Glen BULOT, Université Bretagne Sud / Geo-Ocean UMR CNRS 6538, France
Laura DALOUR, Université Bretagne Sud / Geo-Ocean UMR CNRS 6538, France
Noé METGE, Université Bretagne Sud / Geo-Ocean UMR CNRS 6538, France
In recent years, citizen science programmes have increased in several research domains, progressing from its beginnings in biodiversity and environmental monitoring to become an established practice in the fields of health, social sciences, astronomy and humanities, among many others. Despite this expansion, citizen science projects focusing on issues of coastal evolution and beach monitoring are rare.
OCLM (Observatoire Citoyen du Littoral Morbihannais – Morbihan Coastal Citizen Observatory) is the first observatory in France where science, citizenship, sustainable management and coastal evolution and dynamics are mixed. OCLM’s ambition is to build new and innovative coastal environmental monitoring and information capabilities that can enable effective participation by citizens, based on broad stakeholder and user involvement in support of both community and policy priorities. The main objectives of OCLM are:
- Monitor endangered and vulnerable coastal sites more regularly
- Educate and inform coastal policy and environmental management, as well as local stakeholders and citizens, about prevailing coastal evolution and issues (e.g. coastal erosion, management challenges), and about citizen science in general
- Create social cohesion between citizens, academics and other stakeholders
highlight people’s interest in citizen science, and the added value that citizens can bring
- Establish low-cost, open and enduring methods and databases for academics to improve understanding about the evolution of coastal systems
- Support coastal development approaches so that they respond to sustainable management plans linked with public and political decision-maker.
This paper will present, through a few examples, the methodological approach to the functioning of the OCLM, the implementation of beach monitoring protocols jointly with volunteers and coastal site managers, and the fruitful interaction between scientists, volunteers and stakeholders.
Mots clés : Citizen science|Coastal evolution|observatory
A103175MS