In line with the IRD supervision, the UMR is involved in equitable scientific partnerships with Southern countries. These long-term partnerships take the form of joint research projects and student co-supervision, facilitated by frequent geographical exchanges of varying duration. These exchanges concern both students and full scientists and are made possible by funding from the UMR or research projects, but above all through IRD's mobility tools: MLD (Mission Longue Durée), South-North South-South Mobility and long-term assignments (allowing MARBEC scientists to work on a daily basis for 2 to 4 years with partners within their institutions).
In total, about 85 permanent scientists of the UMR (60%) are involved in research activities in partnership with the South.
Indian Ocean and Southern Africa
In Madagascar, the UMR's activities are structured around the LMI (International Mixed Laboratory) MIKAROKA, created in 2020, which brings together researchers from the IH.SM (Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines) and the CNRO (Centre National de Recherches Océanographiques) with researchers from the UMR MARBEC and ENTROPIE to address issues related to marine biodiversity in Madagascar.
With malagasy colleagues, the UMR is developing work on micro-organisms (in particular the pathogenic risks linked to micro and macro-plastics), fish diversity, marine megafauna, aquaculture and artisanal fisheries. Two MARBEC researchers will be based in Tulear from August 2021.
In Seychelles, the world's leading tuna landing port, the UMR is developing research on the sustainability of tuna fisheries with the SFA (Seychelles Fishing Authority), as well as work on coastal ecosystems, including the impact of marine pollution by plastics.
A MARBEC researcher, who is also the corresponding representative for IRD, has been based in Victoria with the SFA since September 2020, with the support of a VIA working within the Ob7 Observatory (https://www.ob7.ird.fr/).
A MARBEC researcher is present on Reunion Island to carry out work on the conservation of coral reef biodiversity on a regional scale, with a particular focus on the Mozambique Channel.
The UMR is developing numerous researches in collaboration with the CUFR of Mayotte (Centre Universitaire de Mayotte), partner of the UMR, mainly on the observation and characterisation of reef biodiversity, as well as on the physiology of mangrove animals.
Research collaborations also exist in the northern Indian Ocean, with the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in India on the response of the Indian Ocean to climate change, and the Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMRI) in the Maldives on the sustainability of Maldivian tuna fisheries.
South Africa is a historical partner of the UMR, notably through the former LMI ICEMASA and UCT (University of Cape Town), a partner with which many projects on integrated modelling of Atlantic ecosystems are underway. From September 2021, a MARBEC researcher will be based at the DFFE (Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment) in Cape Town, to conduct research on marine aquaculture. Collaborations are also being conducted with the Neslon Mandela University (NMU), a centre of excellence in Port Elizabeth, to participate in the development of a Master's degree in marine sciences and research on larval dispersal. Finally, a researcher from the UMR is based in Johannesburg as a representative of the IRD, CNRS and CIRAD in South Africa.
Western Africa
In Senegal, the UMR is working with Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), CRODT (Dakar Thiaroye Oceanographic Research Centre) and the NGO Bird Life International on the reduction of fisheries bycatch in Senegal, with the presence of a researcher on site since 2018.
In Ivory Coast, the UMR collaborates with several institutions: the CRO (Centre de recherches océanographiques), the UNA (Université Nangui Abrogoua), the Institut Pasteur and the INPHB (Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny). The UMR is developing research with these partners on the state of health of the Ivorian lagoons as part of the "Abidjan: sustainable city" programme. Studies are also being conducted on the sustainability of tuna fisheries, with a research engineer currently based at the CRO as part of the Ob7 observatory. MARBEC is co-leading the JEAI MOSANE on the tuna microbiome and its role in the development of pathogens likely to affect human health.
The collaboration in Guinea focuses on halieutic and the sustainability of the country's fisheries in a regional context. A researcher, also an IRD representative, has been based at the CNSHB (Centre National des Sciences Halieutiques de Boussoura) since September 2020.
In Gabon, research concerns the state of health of coastal areas, in particular mangroves subject to numerous anthropic pressures, with the CENAREST (Centre national de la recherche scientifique et technique), the USTM (Université des sciences et techniques de Masuku) and the ANPN (Agence nationale des parcs nationaux du Gabon).
Researches are also carried out with Mauritania and IMROP (Mauritanian Institute of Oceanographic Research and Fisheries) and the Ministry of Fisheries, on the sustainability of octopus and small pelagic fisheries.
At the regional level, the UMR coordinates two GDRI-South. The GDRI-Sud iMarCo brings together partners from South Africa, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Mozambique, Senegal and Tunisia, a southern extension of the European GDR of the same name on marine connectivity. The GDRI-Sud WAMBA-Net, which is developing a reference database of West African marine fish, based on DNA barcoding data. This GDRI-South brings together partners from 5 African countries: Mauritania, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria, with France and the United Kingdom.
On the African continent, the UMR coordinates the GDRI-Sud AfriMAQUA on marine aquaculture, which brings together partners from South Africa, Ivoria Coast, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania and France.
Latin America
The UMR's activities in Brazil are mainly structured around the LMI TAPIOCA, which aims, in the long term, to create an inter-university centre of excellence in tropical marine sciences in Recife. This LMI brings together scientists from UFPE (Universidade Federal de Pernambuco) and UFRPE (Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco) with scientists from UMR MARBEC, LEMAR, LEGOS and LOCEAN to develop research on the structure and dynamics of the western Atlantic Ocean as well as on the spatial dynamics of marine organisms and fishers.
The UMR collaborates with other partners in Brazil. Researches on the ecology of seabirds in the Brazilian tropical Atlantic Ocean are conducted with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in the framework of the JEAI TABASCO. The UMR is also carrying out work in collaboration with UFRN (Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal), UFPR (Federal University of Paraná) and UnB (University of Brasilia) on the study of the physiology of stress and the behaviour of marine fish, in a context of anthropogenic impacts
The UMR is also developing researches with partners in Peru, Chile, Colombia and Cuba.
Southeast Asia
Activities in Indonesia are structured around the LMI SELAMAT, bringing together scientists from LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Sciences), KP Soring Polytechnic, UNIPA (University of Papua), as well as the UMR MARBEC, ISEM, MIO, ENTROPIE, to study the interactions between marine biodiversity, environmental changes and human societies through "ecological sentinels.
The UMR is also conducting research on the sustainability of Indonesian tuna fisheries, the world's leading tuna fishing country, with the CFR (Center for Fisheries Research) and its agencies (RIMF - Research Institute for Marine Fisheries and RITF - Research Institute of Tuna Fisheries). A MARBEC researcher will be based at the RITF in Bali from July 2021.
In Vietnam, the UMR is developing research within the framework of the LMI DRISA (Drug Resistance in South East Asia), in collaboration with the USTH (University of Science and Technology of Hanoi), the IBT (Institute of Biotechnology of Hanoi) and the IO (Hanoi Oceanographic Institute). The approaches developed are of the "One Health" type and concern the potential reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens in coastal areas.
Mediterranean Sea
The UMR is present in Morocco, with a researcher based at the INRH (Institut National de Recherche Halieutique) to work on toxic algal blooms in southern Mediterranean ecosystems, in a regional approach within the LMI COSYS-MED, based in Tunisia.
Pacific Ocean
The UMR also conducts research in the Pacific Ocean (New Caledonia, French Polynesia), in partnership with the UMR ENTROPIE and EIO.