Once again, tens of thousands of common cranes have taken up residence in the Camargue for the cold season. After a spectacular increase last winter, the 2026 population remains stable.
In January, the Tour du Valat coordinated the census of wintering common cranes (Grus grus) in the Camargue. This annual operation is carried out by around forty volunteers and staff from the Tour du Valat, the Camargue National Reserve, the Vigueirat Marshes Reserve, the Camargue Regional Nature Park, the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park and the Scamandre Centre. The results are then sent to the ‘Réseau Grues France’ and are used to monitor the evolution of the population of these migratory birds.
A total of 36,043 individuals were recorded across 18 dormitories. This figure confirms the exceptional increase seen in 2025 (39,800 individuals) compared with the years 2022–2024 (+45%).
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has had a significant impact on common cranes across Europe, with the LPO observing a peak in mortality in France at the end of October[1]. Although a few cases have been detected, the virus has fortunately not spread amongst this species in the Camargue.
Follow the migratory route of a common crane!
Use this interactive map to follow the movements of a common crane born in 2022, who was fitted with a GPS tracker in Estonia. From its birthplace in the Baltic states, it reached the Camargue in just a few weeks. This map shows the impressive distance travelled, the stopover sites and the routes these birds can take during their seasonal migration.
When nature becomes the solution: meeting societal challenges in the Mediterranean
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The Mediterranean Basin is a global biodiversity hotspot that is currently afflicted by the combined pressures stemming from human activities and climate change. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are emerging as a major tool that can protect populations and territories. Based on resilient ecosystems that can be true natural allies, they reconcile conservation, human well-being, and socio-economic development. This is the key objective of the RESCOM project, which is being coordinated by the Tour du Valat for the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium (MBC). It aims to deploy these solutions, which despite their many benefits are still underutilized in the Mediterranean region.
Nature-based Solutions driving collective action in the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium (CMB)[3] brings together several leading organisations like the Tour du Valat long involved in nature conservation in the Mediterranean. By pooling their expertise, these partners work together to protect the natural resources of the Mediterranean Basin. Their mission is to preserve the integrity of ecosystems (coastal areas, small islands, forests, wetlands, marine areas) in ways that can sustainably ensure the vital services they provide society, while revealing their full potential as sources of NbSs
This collective ambition is embodied in the RESCOM project (Making Mediterranean Ecosystems more Resilient), the CMB’s first flagship project, which is co-financed by the French Global Environment Facility, the MAVA Foundation, and the French Development Agency. Deployed across 15 pilot sites in the Mediterranean, the project supports natural area managers in implementing concrete management, conservation, and restoration actions in Albania, Egypt, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Montenegro, Tunisia, and Turkey.
These interventions are all conceived around Nature-based Solutions. By providing essential services – food security, water and wood supply, soil stabilisation, thermal regulation, carbon sequestration, flood risk mitigation, and protection against submersion or other natural phenomena – NbSs provide alternative or complementary solutions to grey infrastructure. They are also more resilient and economically advantageous in sectors such as land use planning, agriculture, water management, and health. They contribute to the quality of life of local residents and to local socio-economic development by supporting industries working toward the sustainable use of natural resources in the fishing, tourism, agricultural and other sectors.
Nature-based solutions (NbSs): a methodological concept promoted by the IUCN
The RESCOM project is grounded in the concept of an NbS, as it has been defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Nature-based Solutions are defined as “actions aimed at protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring natural or modified ecosystems to directly address societal challenges in an effective and adaptive manner, while ensuring human well-being and producing benefits for biodiversity.”
The NbS concept first appeared some fifteen years ago. The original definition was refined in 2016 by the IUCN, which also developed an international standard in 2020 that was revised in 2025. This standard is based on a set of criteria and indicators designed to guide those developing NbSs. The concept has thus gradually gained recognition and is now integrated into numerous public policies at national, international, and European levels, such as the European Union’s Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the European regulation on nature restoration, and the third National Adaptation Plan (PNACC3).[4]
Test, adapt, adopt: rolling out NbSs in the Mediterranean
Our study reveals that the success of NbSs depends on several factors: the broad involvement and effective coordination of local actors, strong political support, as well as communication and awareness-raising efforts that target people to accompany changing practices and foster the emergence of a shared vision for a specific territory. Nature-based Solutions require long-term funding to make them truly sustainable. They also require the deployment of a robust monitoring and evaluation system to measure both the effectiveness of ecological restoration and the socio-economic impact of the actions undertaken. RESCOM will enable local stakeholders (natural area managers, civil society organisations, local authorities, public administrations, research centres, economic operators and local residents) to be closely involved in the implementation of NbSs. In addition, ecological and socio-economic assessments enable interventions to be prioritised according to the specific challenges facing each territory.
SfN : un outil adaptable et évolutif
Far from being “ready-made” solutions, NbSs must be shaped by the field. More than a rigid approach, they are a lever for dialogue and planning support.
They entail an iterative and flexible process, which can adjust to each site’s specific social and institutional realities and administrative and land constraints.
This experimental phase is a genuine collective learning process, the lessons of which feed into and reinforce the visibility and replicability of NbSs. RESCOM thus aims to build a community of practices that will bring together a wide range of actors around the Mediterranean Basin to foster the sharing and dissemination of solutions adapted to common climatic and societal challenges.
NbSs in action: examples from around the Mediterranean
Since the RESCOM project was launched in 2023, the CMB has been applying NbSs with a focus on the interactions and connectivity between terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems, which are essential for species to move around and for maintaining major natural balances, such as water and nutrient cycles.
A focus on three sites covered by the project, on different shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
• In Italy, the restoration of seagrass beds for coastal protection
With support from the project, teams from the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area (MPA), located in south-eastern Sardinia, Italy, have undertaken the restoration of 230 m² of Posidonia seagrass beds. This species, endemic to the Mediterranean, has been weakened by decades of human impact, particularly by trawlers that once operated in this MPA.
The technique used involves recovering Posidonia rhizomes that have been naturally uprooted by bad weather and replanting them in degraded areas. To ensure that the operation is successful, new eco-friendly mooring buoys will be installed to encourage boaters to avoid anchoring in the seagrass beds, one of the main causes of their degradation.
There are several benefits of restoring Posidonia seagrass beds. First, it stabilises the seabed and reduces the speed of currents, thereby limiting coastal erosion. It also supports the life cycle of many marine organisms by serving as a nursery, spawning ground, and refuge for fish and other marine organisms, which in turn directly benefits fishing. Finally, it contributes very effectively to carbon capture.
• In Albania, dunes and lagoons are being restored to limit coastal erosion
In the Divjakë-Karavasta National Park, located on the Adriatic coast of Albania, RESCOM is focusing on rehabilitating the dune ecosystem, which has been severely degraded by seaside tourism, hiking, and unregulated vehicle traffic throughout the year. The interventions planned will combine dune revegetation, the control of invasive species, and measures to protect and delimit strictly protected areas, in order to stabilise these fragile coastal landscapes and limit coastal erosion.
In addition, the project aims to improve the ecological status of the Karavasta lagoon, a RAMSAR site and an important wintering and breeding area for more than 200 bird species, including the Dalmatian Pelican, and to restore degraded woodlands in the surrounding hills. These integrated measures aim to strengthen coastal protection, improve water quality, and increase the area’s ecotourism appeal. They will also contribute to strengthening ecological connectivity and restoring species of conservation concern.
• In Tunisia, forest restoration and support for the development of alternative income-generating activities for local communities
In Tunisia, priority actions for the Oued Ezzen National Park, located in the north-west of the country, focus on reforesting areas near douars and villages. Local communities are involved in planting versatile native species such as the carob tree, which is endemic to the Mediterranean. These actions will allow them to harvest the carob pods and engage in silvopastoralism in these restored areas, thereby generating potential sources of income. These measures will also help to improve water retention, combat erosion and landslides, and support biodiversity.
The project will also test the natural regeneration potential of different species, helping to identify those that are able to withstand drought, fire and other extreme climate phenomena. Finally, the project aims to regulate tourist activities, which are currently unregulated, by developing an innovative co-management approach with local communities that is likely to generate economic benefits (training of guides, sale of local products, camping fees) and can be replicated elsewhere in Tunisia.
Team: Lisa Ernoul, Antoine Gazaix, Carol Mañoso Gimeno, Philippe Lambret, Arsène Marquis-Soria, Pauline Rocarpin, Salima Slimani, Marc Thibault, Elisa Tuaillon
Partners:
Technical: organisations membres du Consortium Méditerranéen pour la Biodiversité (AIFM[8], MedPAN[9], MedWet[10], Initiative PIM[11], UICN Med[12], Conservatoire du littoral[13], WWF France[14]) et partenaires nationaux et locaux dans les sites pilotes (administrations publiques, organisations de la société civile locales)
Scientific: Instituts ou centres de recherche locaux dans les pays partenaires
Three questions for Yaprak Arda, Marine Programme Officer at IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation
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Yaprak Arda, Marine Programme Officer at IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, answers our questions on the contribution of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to biodiversity conservation in the Mediterranean, existing examples of implementation, barriers to large-scale deployment, and the role of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium and the RESCOM project in accelerating their adoption.
1. What does the concept of NbS bring to the field of biodiversity conservation?
Nature-based Solutions (NbSs) represent a significant evolution in biodiversity conservation. They explicitly connect ecosystem protection, restoration, and sustainable management to the delivery of societal benefits such as climate mitigation and adaptation, water and food security, disaster risk reduction, and socioeconomic development. NbSs place biodiversity at the core of development planning by recognizing that healthy, functioning ecosystems are essential infrastructure for human well-being. Through the IUCN Global Standard for NbSs, the concept also brings a clear framework to ensure that actions are evidence-based, inclusive, economically viable, and deliver measurable benefits for both biodiversity and society. In this way, NbSs help shift conservation from being seen as a sectoral objective to a cross-cutting solution embedded in economic and social policy.
2. The concept is still emerging, but are there any successful cases of implementation in the Mediterranean?
The Mediterranean already offers several promising examples of NbSs in practice, even if they were not always initially labelled as such. These include large-scale wetland restoration that enhance flood control and biodiversity, forest landscape restoration to reduce wildfire risk while boosting ecosystem resilience, and coastal ecosystem restoration — such as dunes, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows — to protect shorelines from erosion while supporting fisheries and carbon sequestration. Integrated water resource management approaches that restore river connectivity and natural floodplains also demonstrate how NbSs can simultaneously address water scarcity, climate adaptation, and habitat conservation in this climate-vulnerable region. Overall, these experiences show that NbSs can be successfully adapted to the specific social and ecological contexts of the Mediterranean.
3. What are the main obstacles to the large-scale deployment of NbS in the Mediterranean, and how can the CMB and the RESCOM project accelerate its implementation?
Key obstacles for scaling up Nature-based Solutions (NbSs) in the Mediterranean include fragmented governance frameworks, limited cross-sectoral coordination, and insufficient long-term financing. NbSs often require integrated planning across water, agriculture, urban development and conservation sectors, which is still difficult to reconcile with siloed public policies, short political and project cycles, land tenure complexities and competing land-use pressures. Active stakeholder engagement, clearer evidence on cost-effectiveness compared to grey infrastructure and stronger recognition of biodiversity as essential natural capital are also key issues.
In this context, the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium (MBC) and the RESCOM project can play a catalytic role. By promoting regional cooperation, aligning policy frameworks and facilitating knowledge exchange, they help to structure credible and measurable initiatives. Their action also helps to strengthen the skills of local actors, mobilise financing and develop replicable models adapted to the socio-ecological realities of the Mediterranean, and aligned with EU and international climate and biodiversity policies?
At the heart of our estate, a pine forest planted after the Second World War is home to small ponds nestled on a dune ridge that is thousands of years old. At first glance, they seem peaceful. Yet they tell a fragile story.
These ponds host a freshwater ecosystem vital to many species. Among them is the spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes): a small amphibian that is as discreet as it is endangered, choosing these ponds for reproduction each mating season. But over the past decade, something has been changing. The oak trees in the pine forest are dying. Some reed beds are losing their vitality. And the water… is gradually becoming saturated with salt.
Why ?
Less rain, more evaporation due to global warming… but perhaps also invisible exchanges with surrounding aquifers, whose salinity varies according to the seasons and the management of irrigation and drainage channels.
To understand these mechanisms, scientists at the Tour du Valat are closely monitoring changes in the ponds: salinity measurements every two weeks, installation of piezometers throughout the site, analysis of underground water movements…
The aim? To identify the causes and, if possible, take action to curb this phenomenon.
This winter, heavy rains have allowed the ponds to fill with fresh water, providing pelobates with optimal conditions for reproduction. Hope is therefore reborn for this protected species.
At the Tour du Valat, cultivating vines also means watching over these invisible balances. Here, each plot tells a story of agriculture and biodiversity coexisting together.
Identity card of the common spadefoot toadSize: 7 to 10 cm long
Identification criteria: Its hind legs are equipped with ‘knives’, allowing it to burrow vertically into the sand. Its back is yellowish-grey dotted with chocolate brown spots.
Behaviour: The Pelobates is only active on certain nights. During the day, it creates small underground burrows (except during the breeding season).
We are familiar with spectacular epidemics, such as those linked to highly pathogenic avian influenza, which struck our region during the winter of 2026. When birds die in large numbers, the impact is visible and immediately measurable. But in nature, most infections go unnoticed. They do not cause mass mortality or obvious symptoms. What’s more, dead birds often serve as food and quickly disappear from the landscape. Yet these infections can affect the growth, physical condition or reproductive success of animals — with potential long-term consequences for populations.
Quantifying these impacts represents a major scientific challenge in understanding the dynamics of wild populations. This is demonstrated by a recent study conducted by the Tour du Valat and its partners on the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis). The researchers focused on a blood parasite that they had recently described with their colleagues from the National Veterinary School of Nantes: Babesia sp. YLG, transmitted by a tick vector (Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) maritimus) found in nests.
The main challenge? Assessing the effects of a parasite that does not make the bird visibly ill. As conventional blood smear analyses are not always sufficient to detect subtle infections, the team developed a high-precision tool: a qPCR assay. This molecular technique makes it possible to detect minute traces of the parasite in the blood and measure the amount of pathogen present in each individual.
For three years, the scientists monitored two colonies of gulls to observe how the parasite circulated and what its real effects were on the birds’ lives.
An infection with varying impacts depending on age
The results highlight the different effects of the parasite depending on the stage of life of the individual:
• Chicks are more exposed than adults: The parasite is omnipresent in young birds. It is transmitted from the nest via ticks. It has been observed that the more a nest is infested with ticks, the more likely the chick is to be infected with Babesia. Infection peaks at around 37 days of age and then decreases as the young bird’s immune system strengthens.
• Impact on growth: Scientists have observed a significant slowdown in growth in infected chicks, greater than that associated with the direct impact of ticks. However, in seabirds, growth rate often determines the chances of survival.
• Repercussions on parents: Infection is rarer in adults but seems to weaken their physical condition. A striking observation: chicks are less likely to fledge successfully when one of their parents is carrying the parasite. It is as if, when faced with infection, adults prioritise their own survival at the expense of investing in their young.
• Once the chicks have fledged, their infectious status or that of their parents no longer affects their survival or movements.
Challenges for conservation
Taken individually, these impacts may seem modest. While Babesia sp. YLG does not decimate colonies, it acts as an additional stress factor. In a world where seabirds are already facing food scarcity and climate change, these infections can influence long-term population dynamics.
This study therefore highlights the importance of also focusing on the most inconspicuous pathogens.
Future research should now focus on the long-term consequences of this infection on population and community dynamics, and examine its impacts on the evolution of these populations in a rapidly changing world.
Publication reference
Buysse M., Ollagnier M., Souc C., Bruley M., Blanchon T., Leray C., Vittecoq M., McCoy K.D. 2025. Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Blood Parasite Infections and Impacts on Avian Health and Reproduction. Molecular Ecology n/a:e70178. doi: 10.1111/mec.70178[20]
Contact
Marion Vittecoq[21] | Research Director – Coordinator of Health Ecology and Species Conservation Themes
Sediment and organic carbon fluxes: new modelling sheds light on the role of the Rhône
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The Rhône is one of the main sources of sediment and organic carbon for the Mediterranean Sea. Every year, it carries nearly 5.5 million tons of sediment – the equivalent of 2,000 Olympic swimming pools – and 173,000 tons of organic carbon, a volume comparable to what 870,000 trees can absorb in a year, to the sea. These inputs nourish marine ecosystems, support biodiversity, help to curb natural coastal erosion and slow down the retreat of the coastline, particularly in the Camargue and the Gulf of Lion. Without them, beaches and coastal infrastructure would be even more exposed to storms and rising sea levels. But this balance is fragile: in a century, dams have reduced these flows by 60%, while climate change is altering flood patterns, concentrating 70% of inflows in just 10% of the year.
A recent study published in March 2026, conducted by a research team including the Tour du Valat, used the SWAT-C (Soil and Water Assessment Tool – Carbon) model for the first time to quantify organic carbon dynamics in the vast Rhône River basin between 2002 and 2020. Results reveal that Alpine tributaries, such as the Durance and Isère rivers, contribute 70% of the organic carbon transported, mainly in labile form – a biodegradable fraction that is easily assimilated by microorganisms, actively participates in the carbon cycle and reflects the good health of ecosystems.
However, these figures are accompanied by significant margins of uncertainty. Although pioneering, the model still underestimates certain local variations, such as the precise impact of dams on fine sediments, and requires more detailed data to better predict, in particular, carbon degradation at sea and the cumulative effect of small tributaries. Furthermore, future scenarios – related to climate or dam management – remain difficult to model accurately.
So what can be done? Scientists insist on one point: before considering adaptation solutions, such as modifying dam releases, it is essential to improve the model by incorporating more field measurements and reducing its margins of error. One thing is certain: the Rhône is a veritable open-air laboratory for understanding how to reconcile water security, coastal preservation and the fight against global warming – a challenge that extends far beyond our borders and concerns all Mediterranean coastlines.
Publication reference
Fabre C., Copard Y., Sauvage S., Radakovitch O., Piegay H., Sánchez-Pérez J.M., Fressard M., Boutron O. 2026. Integrated modelling of sediment and organic carbon fluxes in a large catchment: quantifying riverine contributions to the Mediterranean Sea. CATENA 264:109794. DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2026.109794[22]
Life MARHA report: 8 years of action for Mediterranean lagoons
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After eight years of work to improve the conservation of marine habitats – including coastal lagoons – European Life Marha project (2018-2025), led by the French Office for Biodiversity with 13 scientific and management partners, has come to an end. As part of this project, the Pôle-relais lagunes méditerranéennes, supported by the Tour du Valat, assisted all stakeholders involved in the management of Natura 2000 sites in assessing the conservation status of Priority Habitat 1150* ‘Coastal lagoons’.
The main results were presented at the closing conference[23] on the 1st of April 2025 in Marseille.
Mediterranean lagoons are a highly diverse habitat: some are permanent, others temporary, salty or slightly salty. This complexity makes them difficult to monitor. The Pôle-relais lagunes méditerranéennes, coordinated by the Tour du Valat in partnership with the Conservatoire d’espaces naturels d’Occitanie and the Office de l’Environnement de la Corse, has supported Natura 2000 managers in assessing these environments using a national method based on 12 indicators.
Résultats :
The results:
More than 500 participants mobilised through 15 training courses and 17 workshops on implementing the assessment;
The first mapping of habitat 1150* ‘Coastal lagoons’ habitat, using a standardised method covering nearly 86,000 ha along the French Mediterranean coastline, with 3,281 lagoons identified, 92% of which are permanent (46,205 ha in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, 36,080 ha in Occitanie and 3,281 ha in Corsica).
A map of the seagrass bed area of eight Natura 2000 sites produced using machine learning.
The assessment results at the Natura 2000 site level are mixed, with many indicators showing an altered or degraded state. However, one major positive result concerns the habitat area indicator. The Tour du Valat’s work based on remote sensing has shown that the habitat area has remained stable.
While certain indicators reveal fragile areas (pollution, climate impact, etc.), assessments now make it possible to:
Prioritise management actions,
Adapt measures according to the pressures observed,
Enhance knowledge of lagoons that have been little studied until now, such as small coastal lagoons not covered by the WFD.
All the data has been centralised in the OFB database and is accessible via interactive mapping, providing a valuable tool for managers and researchers.
Outlook
80% of managers say they are ready to repeat the assessment, but technical and financial support is still needed. The national method must be adapted to the diversity of lagoon types, and it is recommended that the Natura 2000 objective documents be updated to include specific action sheets for HIC 1150*. Mapping must continue to evolve and be enriched to meet the growing needs of managers.
These elements will be crucial to maintain the momentum on the managers side and to achieve long-term objectives. Assessing the state of these ecosystems is indeed a major challenge, essential to ensure the sustainable management of these fragile environments, which are true sentinels of climate change.
Confronted by the climate emergency and accelerating biodiversity loss, Europe has embarked on a historic initiative with a new Nature Restoration Regulation Law. By September 2026, each Member State will be required to submit a National Nature Restoration Plan. Last January, Patrick Grillas, associate researcher at the Tour du Valat Institute, travelled to Malta to support local stakeholders in preparing for this major challenge. For this small archipelago with one of the highest population densities in Europe, the stakes are strategic: how can wetlands be restored where water resources are scarce and human pressure is constant?
To respond to this decisive turning point, BirdLife Malta organized a four-day training with the support of the Society for Ecological Restoration Europe (SER-Europe)[25] and facilitated by Patrick Grillas, former program director at Tour du Valat. The training aimed to strengthen national restoration capacity among key government agencies — including the Environmental Resources Authority and the Energy and Water Agency — as well as non-governmental organizations such as Nature Trust, Majjistral Park, and Friends of the Earth.
The sessions, held from 19–22 January 2026, focused on building shared understanding, developing technical capacity, and promoting cross-sector collaboration.
Day one focused on the foundations of restoration theory, including the SER Standards and case studies from international restoration projects.
Group photo of the attendees on day 2 of the in-person training on wetland restoration in Malta, organized by BirdLife Malta.
From International Standards to the Maltese Context
The application of SER’s International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration[26] formed the backbone of the program. The first day was dedicated to an in-depth theoretical session, illustrated with examples of restoration projects carried out in different parts of the world. The following days alternated between technical discussions and field-based learning.
Participants visited several sites across the archipelago, including the island of Comino, to assess their restoration potential, local constraints, and long-term management challenges.
At the heart of the discussions was the need to plan realistic actions, define measurable indicators, and design projects aligned with European requirements — while taking into account Malta’s specific ecological and socio-economic context.
Restoration as a Driver of Collaboration
Subject to significant ecological pressures — high population density, tourism, land artificialization, and water scarcity — Malta must now accelerate its restoration efforts. While the needs are considerable, there is also great potential for action.
The development of the National Nature Restoration Plan, led by the Environmental Resources Authority, offers a unique opportunity to address habitat degradation. However, technical solutions alone are not sufficient. During the training, participants emphasized the importance of working within a common framework grounded in international best practice and ensuring long-term stakeholder engagement — including public authorities, civil society, landowners, farmers, and fishers.
Fields trips included a full-day visit to the island of Comino.
« The success of restoration depends on a fundamental principle: stakeholder engagement. Nature is not restored against people, but with them » – Patrick Grillas
Building Long-Term Capacity
Participant feedback confirmed the value of the training in strengthening technical expertise and fostering new connections among restoration stakeholders in Malta. By drawing on the SER Standards, the workshop helped establish a shared language and common approach to restoration, supporting both the development and implementation of the national plan.
SER-Europe intends to continue building this momentum for standards-based ecological restoration across the region. In the context of implementing the Nature Restoration Regulation Law, continued collaboration and capacity building will remain essential to achieving concrete, measurable outcomes for ecosystems.
Natur’Adapt Sud: a strengthened regional initiative to face climate challenges
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After 18 months of close collaboration between natural area managers in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and the coordinating organizations, the Natur’Adapt Sud project was completed in February 2026. This ambitious initiative leaves behind concrete tools and a strengthened regional momentum to face climate challenges.
Natur’Adapt Sud was launched in July 2024 and coordinated by la Tour du Valat in collaboration with the Conservatory of Natural Areas of PACA. The project engaged 13 natural reserves (7 national and 6 regional) in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Its goal was clear: anticipate climate change in oder to adapt management practices in protected areas.
A quantified assessment reflecting the scale of the work
The project has resulted in an enhancement of the teams’ skills and the production of strategic documents:
13 vulnerability and opportunity assessments related to climate change, providing a detailed analysis of climate impacts on habitats and species in each reserve
13 adaptation plans developed (one per reserve), defining adaptation strategies and planned measures for both short and long term
28 professionals trained on climate issues through the Natur’Adapt training program (COOC), strengthening the internal expertise of managing organizations
More than 150 working meetings and personalized support sessions with managers
Broad stakeholder consultation: nearly 100 local actors (farmers, fishers, scientists, elected officials, tourism and fire prevention actors) were involved in the discussions
The strength of territorial facilitation and networking
Beyond technical outputs, Natur’Adapt Sud structured an unprecedented regional network dedicated to the exchange of best practices. As participants highlighted during the closing event: “We are stronger together” This collective momentum led to shared insights challenging the very foundations of nature protection:
Putting on the “climate change glasses”: While adaptive management was already practiced on some sites, managers now integrate a more functional and dynamic vision of nature, marking a shift from “static” conservation aimed at maintaining past reference states.
Acceptance of change: A strong consensus emerged on the need to accept irreversible ecosystem changes, questioning the limits of interventionism (restoration, assisted migration).
Evolving regulatory frameworks: Exchanges highlighted a gap between current conservation missions and the upcoming shifts in natural heritage management under climate change.
Climate change as a territorial opportunity: The theme is recognized as a chance to strengthen dialogue with local actors (farmers, fishers, elected officials).
A shift in scale: The Natur’Adapt approach reinforces the understanding that broader spatial and temporal scales are essential to support future ecosystem changes.
For la Tour du Valat, the analyses confirmed the vulnerability of emblematic habitats such as temporary ponds. The project’s adaptation strategy now focuses on strengthening ecological resilience and adaptive water management, aiming to anticipate and support changes in species assemblages such as wintering waterfowl.
Looking ahead: from planning to action
The project’s conclusion marks the beginning of the implementation phase. Adaptation plans will gradually be integrated into the official management plans of the reserves.
The major challenge now lies in sustaining this regional dynamic. Maintaining a functional network and securing funding for concrete measures will be decisive in transforming these adaptation strategies into lasting conservation outcomes that can withstand climate change.
The vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans for the reserves, carried out as part of the project, will soon be available online on the dedicated page.
Every year, billions of birds undertake extraordinary migrations, crossing vast deserts and open seas with no place to stop, feed, or rest. A new international study published in iScience by a consortium of researchers from Tour du Valat, CEFE/CNRS, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle and Swiss Ornithological Institute reveals that small migratory birds adjust how high they fly over these ecological barriers, and that their strategies depend on wing morphology and plumage color.
Using miniature multi-sensor tracking devices, researchers tracked 17 species of small migratory birds as they crossed two major barriers on their journey between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa: the Sahara Desert and large marine areas such as the Mediterranean Sea and the Bay of Biscay.
The results show striking differences in flight behavior.
Flying high over the Sahara, low over the sea
When crossing the Sahara Desert, birds typically flew at much higher altitudes than over the sea, often reaching 2,500 to 4,000 meters above sea level, especially during daytime. In contrast, sea crossings usually occurred at much lower altitudes, sometimes probably just a few dozen meters above the water surface.
According to Jocelyn Champagnon, a senior researcher at Tour du Valat and co-last author of the study, «These small birds fly almost exclusively at night, but they sometimes extend their night flights into the following day when crossing the desert. When the sun rises, we have found that they fly higher. This behaviour probably helps them avoid overheating by reaching cooler air at higher altitudes. Conversely, when crossing the seas, they descend, which puts them at risk of colliding with future offshore wind developments.»
Wing size and color matter
The study shows that physical traits help explain why species fly at different heights:
Birds with larger wings tended to fly higher, likely because larger wing area provides more lift in thinner air.
Darker-plumaged species flew higher during daytime desert crossings, probably to reduce heat absorbed from solar radiation.
Species with shorter wing bones also flew higher during daytime flights, suggesting they may rely more on cooler air at altitude to dissipate heat during long journeys. In contrast, species with longer wing bones have a larger and more vascularised wing surface, which likely allows more efficient heat dissipation and better tolerance of high temperatures without needing to climb as high.
Together, these results demonstrate that migration strategies are closely linked to anatomy and thermal constraints.
Unexpected low-altitude sea flights
Over marine barriers, some species, particularly the Northern Wheatear, frequently flew extremely close to the sea surface, sometimes spending most of the crossing below 50 meters in altitude.
Flying low may reduce energy costs by exploiting calmer winds near the surface or aerodynamic effects close to the water, although further research will be needed to fully understand the benefits of this strategy.
Why are these results important?
Long distance migratory birds are declining. Ecological barriers such as deserts and seas represent some of the most dangerous stages of bird migration. The study highlights how finely tuned these crossing strategies are, and how sensitive they may be to environmental change.
The findings have implications for wind energy development in marine environments. Many migratory birds cross seas at low altitudes, sometimes flying close to the water surface, which may bring them into the range of offshore wind turbines during long-distance flights. Understanding when, where, and how high birds fly over marine areas can help improve the planning and operation of wind farms, reducing collision risks.
This study was funded by the Migralion (2021-2025)[36] and Migratlane (2022-2027) French programmes, initiated in the context of offshore wind power development, to address the critical lack of data on seabirds and migratory birds, particularly in the Gulf of Lion and the Bay of Biscay, and the urgent need to acquire accurate knowledge about these species.
Publication reference
Dufour, P. et al. (2026). Ecological barrier crossing strategies in small migratory birds depend on wing morphology and plumage color. iScience, 29, 114466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.11446[37]
Historical rediscovery in Chad: a bird species documented for the first time in nearly a century
As part of the RESSOURCE+ project, coordinated by the FAO and co-financed by the European Union and the FFEM, a Franco-Chadian team from the Chad Directorate of Wildlife and Protected Areas (DFAP), the Tour du Valat and the OFB had the opportunity to make an exceptional observation of a bird that had not been documented for almost a century: the Rufous Lark Calendulauda rufa.
On 2 February 2026, Idriss Dapsia (DFAP), Julien Birard (Tour du Valat) and Pierre Defos du Rau (OFB) spent a long time observing, photographing and filming a Rusty Lark (Calendulauda rufa) in the Abou Telfane wildlife reserve, about ten kilometres east of the town of Mongo (Guéra province), in central Chad. The same individual was seen again on 15 February with Abakar Saleh Wachoum, RESSOURCE+ focal point, and Abdoulaye Mbaye, head of the Mongo wildlife sector.
Thanks to images taken in the field, this rediscovery was immediately confirmed by expert ornithologists from Chad (Joost Brouwer & Tim Wacher) and larks (Paul Donald & Per Alström). This observation is the first documented record of the species since 1931 and provides the world’s first photos of a living specimen of the Rusty Lark.
On 5 February 2026, the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory was honoured to co-organise the policy dialogue “From Water Stress to Water Security: Wetlands as a Strategic Asset for the Mediterranean” at the European Parliament,as part of World Wetlands Day.
This event took place alongside Wetlands International Europe, Fundacion Global Nature and in collaboration with MedWet, hosted by MEPs César Luena and Jutta Paulus. The European Commission was also represented, notably by the Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, alongside Flore Lafaye de Michaux from the RamsarConvention.
Bringing together EU policymakers, Mediterranean partners, and scientific and policy experts, the event highlighted a clear message: wetland loss is not inevitable. Where governance frameworks are coherent, ecological water needs are secured, and restoration is adequately financed, wetlands demonstrate measurable recovery and continue to support key sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and tourism.
Discussions focused on how key EU policy frameworks, including the Nature Restoration Regulation, the European Water Resilience Strategy, and the Pact for the Mediterranean, can drive large-scale wetland restoration, investment, and stronger EU–Mediterranean cooperation on water resilience and climate adaptation.
Protecting and restoring Mediterranean wetlands is not only a conservation priority : it is a strategic investment in water security, climate resilience, biodiversity, and regional stability.
