MOOBYF, an ambitious project to monitor the open ocean and its biodiversity

The Functional and Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory at the University of Liège is contributing to the European project MOOBYF (Monitoring the Open Ocean BiodiversitY with Fishers) funded by Europe as part of the BiodivErsa+ programme. This project aims to use Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) of local fishermen to understand the biodiversity of the pelagic zone.

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elagic ecosystems, which encompass the marine organisms and environmental features of the open ocean, are among the largest ecosystems on Earth and are increasingly recognised for their crucial role in supporting human societies. Firstly, pelagic species are vital food sources, essential for the food security of many developing countries. Secondly, these ecosystems play a significant role in climate regulation as long-term carbon sinks in the biosphere.

"Pelagic biodiversity is currently facing significant threats from human activities and climate change, raising major concerns about the conservation status of several species," explains Marine Banse, PostDoc at the Functional and Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory at ULiège. Due to its vastness, remoteness and the sparse nature of the open ocean, access and monitoring remain difficult. As a result, diversity trends and the status of pelagic species are still poorly assessed.

" The MOOBYF project we are participating in aims to use Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), which are artificial buoys or rafts deployed offshore by fishermen to attract fish, to observe the open ocean and its biodiversity., explains Professor Eric Parmentier, Director of the ULiège Laboratory. At the heart of this initiative is the use of thousands of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), artificial buoys or rafts deployed offshore by fishermen to attract fish. These devices exploit the associative behaviour of many species of tropical fish, which gather around floating objects". The project plans to use these FADs as scientific platforms to access and monitor pelagic biodiversity with fishermen. The main study areas are located in the Indian Ocean, Mayotte (a French overseas department), the Maldives and Indonesia, focusing on three main taxonomic groups: teleost fish, elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) and cetaceans.

MOOBYF is funded by Europe as part of the BiodivErsa+ programme. With an overall budget of eight million euros, the project involves thirty-two partners from six countries (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Maldives and Indonesia) and seven research institutes: IRD, ZMT, CNR, the University of Padua, the University of Liège, MMRI and BRIN.

Contact at ULiège

Marine Banse

Éric Parmentier