Nice has been working since 2020 on creating a marine protected area along its coastline. Studies are progressing, and the project is expected to materialize by 2024/2025.
The Nice municipality would like to see the marine protected area project completed before the third United Nations Ocean Conference, which will take place in June 2025 in Nice. However, no firm deadline has been set, but the project led by the city must come to fruition during the mandate of Christian Estrosi. Scientists are taking the time to push their studies as far as possible. “Science doesn’t operate in five minutes,” emphasizes Aurore Asso, municipal councilor, subdelegate for the Marine Protected Area, the coastline, the sea, and ecology.
This marine area would encompass the space between Nice Côte d’Azur Airport and Cap de Nice. The boundaries offshore have not yet been defined, nor has its exact perimeter, as it remains to be seen whether it will involve defining areas of enhanced protection, for example.
The Nice project is a way to contribute to the international strategy announced at the COP 15 in Montreal, aiming to protect 30% of natural and terrestrial spaces by 2030.
A scientific campaign was launched between June and August. The ocean floors were explored, scrutinized, and captured. Its fauna and flora were meticulously recorded with the help of around fifteen scientific divers and marine biologists. Photos, videos, and handwritten notes were taken underwater, going as deep as thirty meters.
Inventorying species to better protect them
On October 4, at the Mediterranean University Center (CUM), citizens, scientists, divers, fishermen, majority and opposition elected officials gathered for a public meeting. The purpose of the meeting: presenting the results of their studies on the natural underwater heritage of Nice.
This blue veil visible from the CUM offers many riches. Starfish, sea urchins, John Dory, shrimps, black corals, mollusks, tuna, gorgonians, and dozens of species with conservation status inhabit this Mediterranean, just a few meters from Nice’s pebbles.
Studying precisely what life is hidden off the Promenade des Anglais, from the mouth of the Var to the boundary with Villefranche-sur-Mer, is a crucial step in the construction of this project. This ecological assessment will allow the implementation of the most suitable conservation measures.
Three laboratories are working hand in hand on this inventory: Ecoseas from Université Côte d’Azur, IMEV from the University of Paris Sorbonne, and the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station in Naples.
“A win-win for the environment and humanity”
The city of Nice, and the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis, both supporters of the project, insist that its development should be conducted as much as possible in consultation with the people of Nice. This marine area is rather special because it is located in an urban zone and is far from free of human activities. By definition, this space will face constraints in the form of planning. The challenge of this creation is to protect biodiversity while promoting the sustainable management of activities.
Where there are human activities, there is also pollution. Underwater, the scientific committee observed many wastes and microplastics, ranging from cans to a crib, and debris from fishing activities. Aurore Asso is convinced that this pollution can still be remedied: “It is not too late; if we manage to stabilize human activities well and make them increasingly qualitative and oriented towards the blue economy to ensure an economy that develops with respect for the marine environment, we will be able to preserve this natural underwater environment.”
“We need to find a compromise between usage and protection; we are seeking a win-win for the environment and humanity,” asserts Aurore Asso. In this sense, a large voluntary consultation, called the blue consultation, was launched on June 9 and extended until the end of August.
