Duration
5 days
Training structure
Service Commun de la Formation Continue , Faculty of Science
Presentation
This University Diploma enables the acquisition and/or updating of the theoretical and practical knowledge required for the design, assessment and implementation of restoration projects on small coastal seabeds in the Mediterranean.
Dates : March 2026 (official dates to be announced)
Training benefits
- Knowledge that can be put to direct professional use
- 21 learners maximum
- Teaching in French
- Scientific fundamentals + concrete case studies + real-life and/or in situ studies
- Suggested readings and visits/outings (outside training courses)
- Complementary teaching experience: scientific fundamentals provided by academics, professional experience passed on by non-academic partners and players and companies involved in ecological restoration.
Objectives
- Know the definition of ecological restoration and its principles
- Knowledge of existing ecological restoration methods in the marine environment
- Knowing the regulatory framework (Marine Strategy Framework Directive, difference with the "avoid-reduce-compensate" sequence, authorization requests)
- Understanding the limits of ecological restoration
- Be able to build a case to convince a project owner to undertake an ecological restoration project
- Be able to position ecological restoration in relation to other coastal and marine space management tools, such as pollution control and non-degradation.
- Be able to propose and implement a restoration project in the marine environment
- Be able to critically assess a restoration project
- Evaluate the effectiveness of restoration measures
Program
Dates : March 2026 (official dates to be announced)
Program
Module 1 (5 days' attendance) :
- Ecological restoration of coastal shallows: definition and principle + reminder
Mediterranean ecology - Ecological restoration policies, complementarity and regulation
- Evaluation of goal attainment and ecological efficiency
- Ecological restoration stakeholders and their prerogatives
- Artificial reefs: a good solution?
- Restoration of marine plant communities (angiosperms, macroalgae)
- Coralligenous and coral restoration
- Restoration sizing and performance evaluation (Round Table)
- Group work on real-life cases (5 x 4 students)
- Restoring nursery functions in port areas
- Ecological restoration and biomimicry
- Restoration of moveable assets
- Economic and financial stakes
- Meet the players and specialist companies
- Overview of other actions and case studies
- Presentation and discussion of case studies, self- and inter-assessment.
Module 2: Dissertation writing (personal tutored work)
During this module, each learner will be asked to study a particular system based
on a real case study. They will be required to produce a reflection and synthesis on
a restoration method subject to controversy or uncertainty (e.g.
use of artificial reefs, restoration of soft habitats, evaluation of existing
restoration projects, immersion of wrecks, transplantation of species, etc.). This
case study will give rise to a written report, an oral presentation and a debate with
professionals from various fields.
Module 3 (1 day in June, distance learning acceptable)
- Presentation of trainee case studies
- Exchange with experts, Q&A, feedback on the DU
The aim is to critically analyze each case study and put it into perspective.
Admission
Admission requirements
BAC+2 and at least 3 years' professional experience or ≥ BAC+4 in progress.
Environmental training.
How to register
To apply, please send your CV and covering letter specifying your expectations of this course and how it fits in with your career plans to the following address: sfc-fds @ umontpellier.fr
Students will be selected by a panel comprising 1 representative from the University of Montpellier, 1 representative from the University of Perpignan, and 1 representative from the business world.
For equivalent academic results, the professional project will be given priority in the selection process.
The DU cannot accommodate fewer than 10 learners, nor more than 21.
And then
Further studies
The aim is to enable learners to respond to requests for information on ecological restoration as service providers, contractors or researchers.
These functions appear in the :
- Research engineer
- Local authority executive
- Project manager in a design office
- Natural space manager
- Technical agent
- Design office manager