In an article from France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine, we discover how underwater exploration helps researchers at the EPOC laboratory to better understand the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.

©Benoit gouilleux

Two members of the EPOC Laboratory, Benoit Gouillieux and Stéphane Bujan, took part in this scientific mission, which aimed to study biodiversity in these caves located between 10 and 40 metres deep off the coast of Hendaye beach. For over a week, our scientists collected samples from these underwater cavities in search of new species and to catalogue all the underwater flora and fauna. These samples were collected by hand using diving tanks.

‘Scientific underwater sampling is usually carried out from a boat, collecting sand and sediment samples,’ says Benoît Gouillieux, oceanographer at the EPOC laboratory.

‘Rocky substrates are more complicated to sample because they involve sampling by hand during scuba dives. This requires more logistical and financial resources. This explains why the Basque coast has not been studied until now,’ says Benoît Gouillieux, oceanographer at the EPOC laboratory.

This mission was the subject of a video report produced by the France 3 Nouvelle Aquitaine teams, available on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E2oMCS8bQY

You can also read the full article: https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/nouvelle-aquitaine/pyrenees-atlantiques/bayonne/le-reve-c-est-de-decouvrir-de-nouvelles-especes-des-scientifiques-explorent-des-grottes-sous-marines-du-pays-basque-3177024.html

Informations EPOC – july 2025