Estuaries are complex systems where river waters mix with marine waters. ESA focus its research activities on mechanisms controlling biogeochemical transformations of nutrients and organic matter in different European estuaries such as the Scheldt, the Seine and the Danube.

Biogeochemical transformations of nutrients at the river-ocean interface were investigated in the scope of the EU-EROS-21 project addressing biogeochemical transformations between the Danube river and the north-western Black Sea.

Such processes are further investigated in the scope of the French Seine Aval project and the EU Marie Curie Network Si-WEBS.

Within this network, ESA is reconstructing different estuary typologies in order to develop an empirical parameterisation for coupling river and marine biogeochemical models.

Main publications:

Roubeix V., Rousseau V., Lancelot C. 2008. Diatom succession and silicon removal from freshwater in estuarine mixing zones: from experiment to modelling. Est. Coast. Shelf Sciences 78:14-26.

Becquevort S., Bouvier T., Lancelot C., Cauwet G., Deliat G., Egorov V. N. , Popovichev V.N. 2002. The seasonal modulation of the organic matter utilization by bacteria in the Danube-Black Sea mixing zone. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science.54: 337-354.

Garnier, J., Servais, P., Billen G, Akopian M. & Brion, N. 2001. Lower Seine river and estuary (France) carbon and oxygen budget during low flow. Estuaries. 24 : 964-976.

George, I., M. Petit, C. Theate & P. Servais. 2001. Distribution of coliforms in the Seine river and estuary (France) Estuaries. 24 :984-1002.

Even S., J.M. Mouchel, P. Servais, P. Le Hir, B. Thouvenin, M. Poulin & J. Garnier. 2000. Suspended matter and ecological behaviour of rivers and estuaries. Conceptual and numerical modelling. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 27: 238-241.

Ragueneau, O., C. Lancelot, V. Egorov, J. Vervlimmeren, A. Cociasu, G. Deliat, A. Krastev, N. Daoud, V. Rousseau, V. Popovitchev, N. Brion, L. Popa and G. Cauwet. 2002. Biogeochemical transformations of inorganic nutrients in the mixing zone between the Danube river and the North-western Black Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 54: 321-336.

Servais, P., Castignolles, N., Petit, F., George, I., Buffet Janvresse, C. & A. Ficht. 1999. L'estuaire de la Seine. Contamination bactérienne et virale. Fascicule Seine-Aval. Ifremer, eds. 27pp.