Welcome behind the scenes of the PLUME project, which we are proud to support with your donations! 🌏💚

For several weeks now, the Franco-Vietnamese team has been criss-crossing Vietnam’s coastal waters aboard the research vessel ANTEA. Their mission? To understand the flows of water, particles, natural and anthropogenic matter in river plumes and their impact on ecosystems and local populations. 🌊

Estuaries are areas where freshwater from rivers meets saltwater from the ocean, creating unique ecosystems rich in biodiversity. Unfortunately, these areas are under heavy pressure from human activities and the pollutants carried by rivers, particularly during monsoon periods. 😔

Thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, the PLUME project combines studies on pollutant flows with socio-ecological studies to understand the impact of these pollutants on estuarine ecosystems and the humans who depend on them. 💡

During this expedition, the first phase of the project, the team collected crucial data on marine biodiversity and environmental processes along the Vietnamese coast, covering more than 4,500 km! Well done to the crew and scientists for this 45-day campaign 👏

A highlight of the expedition? The visit of the French ambassador to Vietnam, who emphasized the importance of their work in protecting estuarine ecosystems. A well-deserved recognition! 💪

The expedition is now over, but the research work has only just begun! The data collected will now be analyzed to better understand the interactions between ecosystem and human health, in Vietnamese estuaries. 🔍

We can’t wait to tell you more about this key project for the future of the ocean!