LandSeaLot Field Campaign aboard RV Côtes de la Manche is completed in the Seine Estuary and Bay
From 19 to 26 April 2026, LandSeaLot researchers from Ifremer and the Seine Estuary and Bay LandSeaLot Integration Lab carried out a field campaign aboard the RV Côtes de la Manche, conducting observations at the local land-sea interface. The campaign focused on maintaining the coastal observatory at the mouth of the estuary while advancing efforts to test and calibrate cost-effective sensors against reference instruments and satellite data.
The land-sea interface area is an area of global and European concern for economy, society and environment. As the areas where fresh and salt water ecosystems meet (such as river mouths, bays and estuaries), the management of the land-sea interface is informed by European Policy Frameworks including the Water Frameworks Directive and and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. However, the boundaries between inland and marine areas are rarely distinct. LandSeaLot is working to harmonise how these areas are monitored and managed, for example by identifying gaps in the observation of these areas and making use of all available resources, from research infrastructures to coastal communities and citizen science organisations.
Cost-effective technologies play a central role in this effort to streamline the observation of the land-sea interface area. While traditional research instruments provide high-precision data, they are often expensive and limited in spatial coverage. In contrast, cost-effective sensors can be more easily deployed by a greater range of people (including citizen scientists) , towards enabling denser observation networks and more continuous monitoring. To ensure their reliability, campaigns such as this one are essential to assess measurements from cost-effective sensors and compare them with those from reference instruments to validate data quality and improve calibration.
During the campaign, researchers carried out a range of activities, including water sampling with both reference and cost-effective sensors such as Wavelets and WiSens, radiometric measurements to support the calibration of satellite ocean colour data using instruments like iSPEX, and water temperature monitoring with the EnvLogger cost-effective sensors. These efforts are intended to contribute to filling observation gaps and building a robust Common Observation Strategy for the land-sea interface that will inform how we understand and protect those complex areas of the world where the terrestrial, freshwater and marine worlds meet.
By combining scientific expertise, innovative technologies, and the engagement of local communities, LandSeaLot is helping to develop a more integrated and comprehensive understanding of the areas where land meets the sea. This approach not only strengthens environmental monitoring but also supports more informed decision-making for the management of European coasts.
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