At the “Assises Nationales des Données de la Recherche 2024”, the “National Wetlands Mapping project” project was awarded the “Science ouverte des données de la recherche” prize, in the “creating a missing dataset” category. This category rewards four projects judged exemplary in their provision of a new scientific dataset.
The project
The aim of the National Wetlands Mapping project is to develop knowledge of these ecosystems in France, in order to better protect, manage and restore them.
The first phase of this project (2021-2023) has produced a national pre-location map of wetlands. Thanks to a combination of georeferenced data, in situ observations and Artificial Intelligence, this preliminary map makes it possible to locate and delimit areas with a high probability of harbouring wetland habitats, according to precise topographical, hydrological, floristic and pedological criteria. It thus provides an exhaustive and unique dataset, essential for guiding actions to conserve wetland ecosystems in mainland France.
This first phase has been successfully completed, laying a solid foundation for the future stages of the project.
The second phase of the project will build on this foundation to go even further: among other things, it aims to identify and classify the wetland habitat types present within the pre-location spatial envelope. This detailed analysis will provide a better understanding of the diversity and specific features of these ecosystems, enabling us to prioritize protection, management and restoration efforts.
Assises Nationales des Données de la Recherche (National Conference on Research Data)
The Assises Nationales des Données de la Recherche was organized on November 26 and 27 in Marseille by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Aix-Marseille University via CEDRE (CEntre de formation et de soutien aux Données de la REcherche) and its SCD (Service Commun de la Documentation).
Open science is the unhindered dissemination of research publications and data. Assises Nationales des Données de la Recherche aims to promote this fundamental practice in research, by bringing together all the national players involved in the management, sharing, opening and reuse of research data in the academic field, as well as in services and industry.
This prize, awarded by the Assises Nationales des Données de la Recherche, recognizes the quality and importance of this collaborative project. By making complex wetland data easily accessible, this initiative illustrates the principles of open science: research, innovation and sharing.