Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) contributes through its work and expertise to the knowledge of the oceans and their resources, to the monitoring of the marine environment and coastline and to the sustainable development of maritime activities. Ifremer’s activities in the West Indies are mainly devoted to the fields of fisheries, aquaculture and the coastal environment. All activities support public action, particularly for the sustainable development of the socio-professional sectors that exploit marine resources.
The interactions between these three areas are inseparably linked, so that the activities carried out are based on the ecosystem approach, involving biological resources and the environment in an integrated manner:
Observing and understanding the dynamics of the marine environment is a major focus of Ifremer’s efforts. This responds to various societal issues:
Assessing the influence of climate change on the ocean and the role it plays in climate;
Understanding ocean-atmosphere interactions with a view to improving oceanographic, meteorological and climate forecasts;
Assess the ecological status of coastal ecosystems by distinguishing their natural variability from the impacts of human activities.
The CARIB-COAST project is in line with the missions of Ifremer Antilles by improving fundamental knowledge of the very complex currents around islands: transfer processes between offshore gyratory currents and coastal reef areas (or channels between islands), swell propagation processes on bathtubs, etc. The project will also provide information on the impact of human activities on coastal ecosystems.
