Science, Innovation and underwater observatories

New Caledonia

Coordinated by Ifremer, the New Caledonia component of the ScInObs project aims to design and deploy an innovative multi-parameter underwater observatory system in the Coral Sea Natural Park (PNMC) covering the entire EEZ of New Caledonia.

This project, initiated by a collaboration between Ifremer and JAMSTEC to develop an observatory in the South West Pacific, is being carried out with local partners or those who have been working in New Caledonia for a long time, such as IRD, MNHN, SGNC/DIMENC, Cresica and the PNMC.

Seamounts, the Natural Park of the Coral Sea’s symbolic ecosystems and hotspots of biomass and biodiversity, were chosen as the first subject of study. Moreover, as prominent structures that link the deep layers to the thermocline, they can influence hydrodynamic stratification and the supply of nutrients to the food chain throughout the water column.  They are also key systems for studying the effects of warming, deoxygenation and acidification on calcifying species such as corals or sponges, which is essential for understanding the effects of climate change on ecosystems.