Urban Biodiversity in Marseille: The City Nature Challenge 2024 Report
The City Nature Challenge (CNC) 2024 in Marseille marked a significant event for urban biodiversity and conservation efforts. Held from April 26 to 29, the bioblitz saw great community involvement for its first participation, and highlighted the vital role of citizen science in ecological research. Natural Solutions, the only business player in this initiative, showcased its commitment to biodiversity conservation in urban settings.
Community Engagement and Participation
Marseille's first participation in the City Nature Challenge (CNC) revealed a strong community spirit towards environmental conservation. The event attracted a diverse group of participants, including families, school groups, naturalist associations, diving clubs, and more. While business involvement was limited, the strong presence of local organizations underscored a grassroots engagement to the cause.
Key sociological insights emerged, such as varying effort levels among participants.
The weather conditions influenced the number of participants significantly, also preventing activities from taking place, particularly at sea. Observations ranged from casual, near-home sightings to dedicated excursions to marine hotspots like Frioul, Calanques, and Pointe Rouge. This diversity in engagement highlights the different motivations and capacities of citizens. Notably, the "Sauvages de ma rue" initiative struggled to recruit participants, suggesting that organizing activities and events are crucial for attracting the public.
Another interesting observation was that higher numbers of observations tend to correspond with fewer species observed proportionally. Conversely, fewer observations often result in a higher diversity of species. This pattern provides valuable insights into sampling efforts and biodiversity patterns, informing future data collection strategies.
Biodiversity Knowledge and Impact on Local Decision Making
The CNC 2024 in Marseille produced impressive results, with 7,159 observations and 1,338 validated species, 30% of which were marine. This data is invaluable, offering significant insights for scientists and local authorities. Crucially, making these observations at the same time each year allows for tracking biodiversity trends and evolutions, essential for monitoring ecosystem health and informing conservation strategies.
Plankton caught in Marseille, on the microscope
Participatory science, such as the CNC, provides access to valuable data for scientists, democratizing data collection and fostering a deeper connection between the public and scientific research. Marseille recorded the highest number of "research-grade" observations in France, emphasizing the quality and reliability of the data collected. Despite the participation of very few businesses, local organizations played a pivotal role, indicating a strong engagement of the naturalist community.
The bioblitz highlighted the importance of having both a broad and detailed understanding of species distribution. While it is essential to note the presence of various species, the abundance data provides insights into population trends. For instance, the observation of the protected Provençal sardine in its natural habitat underscores the need for continuous monitoring and habitat protection.
Cities at the Forefront of Biodiversity Action
Reflecting on the broader impact, the CNC 2024 aligns with the outcomes of COP 15 in Montreal, where cities, including Marseille, demonstrated a significant commitment to biodiversity action, even more so than regions and states. Receiving a prize for participation underscored the critical role cities play in conservation efforts.
Incidentally, in France, Marseille was the only actual city participating in the bioblitz. Other french participants were regions or EPCI (intercommunal unions).
Marseille's involvement in the CNC also had a competitive edge, momentarily surpassing Paris in observations and outperformed cities like Tokyo and Sydney. On a global scale, France ranked 18th in the number of observations and 14th in species diversity, demonstrating the country's growing commitment to biodiversity documentation.
Marseille’s results on INaturalist
Recommendations for the Future
To build on this year’s success, several recommendations are proposed:
Enhanced Corporate Engagement: Encouraging more businesses to participate, possibly during work hours, could significantly increase data collection and raise environmental awareness among employees.
Sociological Studies: Incorporating sociologists to study participant behavior could provide insights to tailor strategies for broader and deeper community involvement.
Weather Contingencies: Developing strategies to mitigate weather impacts, such as scheduling flexibility or activities in sheltered areas, could ensure consistent data collection.
Educational Outreach: Continued focus on mobilizing educational institutions will sustain long-term engagement and foster a new generation of environmentally conscious citizens.
The City Nature Challenge 2024 in Marseille was more than just a biodiversity census; it was a vibrant, community-driven event that underscored the power of citizen science. It highlighted the city's commitment to environmental stewardship and provided invaluable data to inform local conservation strategies. As cities increasingly take the forefront in biodiversity action, Marseille’s experience, with the support of Natural Solutions, offers a model for other urban areas to follow, blending sociological insights with ecological impact for a sustainable future.
