Coordinating institution : MNHN

Project leader : Gwenaël Abril
Project duration : 60 months | September 1st 2023 → August 31st 2028

Grant : 1 399 298 €

 

Institutional partnerships : Université de Nouvelle Calédonie - Sorbonne université - Université d'Angers - IRD - Université de Bordeaux - Université Littoral Côte d'Opale

Associated institutions : Université des Antilles - CNRS - Grenoble INP

Site internet TROPECOS

Gwenaël Abril

The TROPECOS project aims to structure the French scientific community working on the carbon cycle in coastal zones across three overseas territories (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, New Caledonia) and two international research sites in Vietnam and Brazil.

In tropical estuaries, through the compilation of existing datasets and new field measurements in Brazil and Vietnam, and by using new remote‑sensing and modelling tools, the project will be able to accurately quantify emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) in deltas, tidal estuaries, lagoons, and river plumes.

These measurements will make it possible to analyse how emissions have evolved over the past 20 years and to simulate future emissions under different coastal‑management scenarios (sea‑level rise, aquaculture, urban expansion, and wastewater treatment).

In mangrove ecosystems, which have exceptionally high carbon‑storage capacities, an unprecedented sampling effort will be deployed, drawing on the local expertise of the TROPECOS consortium teams. Processes such as remineralisation, diagenesis, and root exudation in anoxic soils and the rhizosphere will be investigated at centimetre‑ and millimetre‑scale resolution, along with microbial functional traits and enzymatic activities (bacteria and fungi). This will provide new insights into the factors that preserve mangrove soil carbon at the global scale.