Studies of Aquatic Environments

General Objectives

To provide training in the techniques and methods used to study and manage (impact assessments, conservation, maintenance, management, etc.) aquatic environments (wetlands, waterways). 

This requires knowledge of the specific regulations governing the management of terrestrial wetlands, the hydrological and hydraulic functioning of these environments, methods for observing, monitoring, and characterizing them, and the associated taxonomic groups (including river fish). It also involves applying some of this knowledge to concrete case studies in order to understand these natural—and sometimes human-altered—environments in all their complexity through complementary disciplinary fields.

            Section 1: Regulation and Hydrological Functioning of Wetlands

            Module 2: Understanding Water Flow, Impacts of Development, and Tools for Characterizing Watercourses

Session 3: Fish Taxonomy, the Principle of Electrofishing, and Assessment of Indicators of Wetland Health

Section 1: RegulationsHydrological Functioning of Wetlands

Distance learning: to be completed individually

Research to be conducted on stakeholders, issues, and European and French regulations.

Or Research to be conducted on the various wetlands.

In-person, in the form of a tutorial: 5 hours

Pooling of regulatory research and matrix analysis of regulatory texts.

Pooling Wetland Research: Identification of Different Wetlands (including the creation of an image database) and Their Associated Watersheds (using a mapping application)

Understanding the hydrological processes of wetlands and watersheds.

Module 2: Understanding Water Flow, Impacts of Development, and Tools for Characterizing Watercourses

In-person, in the form of a tutorial: 5 hours

Principles of hydrometry (measurement of water levels and flow velocities) and tools for characterizing wetlands through direct measurements (physical, chemical, and hydrodynamic parameters), observations (morphological, sedimentological), and raw data analysis (Q(H), QMNA, minimum biological flow, classified flows, QT, etc.)

Introduction to open-channel hydraulics in steady-state flow and at structures, using small-scale case studies (recalibration, weir, or fish pass).

In-person, in the form of a 5-hour field exercise

To be carried out collectively: On-site observations of the impact of the structure and hydraulic processes. Hydraulic measurements at the weir and the hydraulic step (nearest site: the Lez River). Chemical measurements in the watercourse (on-site and via SEQ-eau)

Distance learning: To be completed in pairs: Create educational and technical fact sheets based on site visits and the bibliography.

Session 3: Fish Taxonomy, the Principle of Electrofishing, and Assessment of Indicators of Wetland Health

In-person tutorial led by a guest instructor: 5 hours

Taxonomy of French Freshwater Fish and the Principles of Electric Fishing

Method for Evaluating Health Status Indicators (IBGN, I2M2)

- Identify, select, and apply a combination of analytical tools (common techniques, instrumentation) suitable for characterizing organisms (from biomolecules to individuals in all their complexity) and their functioning at various levels of analysis (intracellular metabolism, biology, and physiology of org

- Identify sources of error to calculate the uncertainty in an experimental result.

- Work both as part of a team and independently and responsibly to support a project.

- Take a step back from a situation, evaluate yourself, and question your own assumptions in order to learn

- Analyze and synthesize data for use.