Biodiversity and marine bioresources

The study and preservation of marine biodiversity is one of the areas of excellence flourishing in Finistère. This is a pioneering centre of global research in applied ocean and coastal marine science and technology. Situated at the gateway to the Iroise Marine Natural Park, it is an ideal location for a number of internationally recognised research centres, such as the Roscoff or Concarneau marine stations.

Then there are the many research laboratories belonging to the European Institute for Marine Studies (IUEM) which, together with the expertise of the Universities of Brest and of Southern Brittany, France’s Institute for Ocean Science (Ifremer) and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), form the only research centre in the world that brings together the natural and human sciences in this field.

Finistère is also a fertile ground for research into marine bioresources, with a focus on both preservation and economic exploitation, thanks to a dense ecosystem of researchers, public institutions, organisations and private companies. This network of collaboration facilitates efforts to study and limit the impacts of human activity on marine environments. It will also help create a ground-breaking environment to foster the innovations of tomorrow in a number of different sectors – from fishing, biotechnology and marine renewable energy to biomimicry, biomaterials, cosmetics, health, and human and animal nutrition.