Objectif Terre : Bassin Méditerranéen

By December 2018, 201 papers acknowledging OT-Med have been published, 18 PhD students and 28 postdocs have been contracted by OT-Med (51% of all young researchers from abroad, 7 theses defended). We continue to support integrated projects launched in 2017. OT-Med also supports the International Carbon Observatory (ICOS) coupled with the Oak Observatory (O3HP) in Saint-Michel l’Observatoire, the latter being recently selected by the European Space Agency as calibration sites of the European FLEX satellite campaign. OT-Med attracted ca. 8 M€ in additional grants from European and French research agencies. Societal actions have much progressed: (i) the network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change (MedECC) now has >500 members, from them 80 authors have writen the first draft of the first assessment report (planned for the end of 2019), with the support the Plan Bleu and the Union for the Mediterranean; (ii) the group of regional experts and scientists on climate change of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA now Sud) region of France, called GREC-Sud and driven by OT-Med leaders, has published seven thematic booklets for stakeholders. We have produced a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on climate change with the help of the Aix-Marseille Rectorat, out of which a mobile application was created (LUDICC). We co-organised, with the A*MIDEX MedNet project, field schools and training on scientific methodologies, natural risks and climatic changes. We finalised a white book on Marseille’s environment (submitted for publication), and we are preparing two synthesis scientific articles. We have recruited staff to valorise results, both scientifically and for the general public.  In agreement with the university policy to structure its research and training strategy around university institutes, Labex OT-Med has applied, together with the Labex Serenade, to evolve towards an institute on environmental transition in the Mediterranean (ITEM).